When you’re hot, you’re hot. And right now, they don’t come much more smoldering than Javier Morales.
The 35-year-old Real Salt Lake midfielder made MLSSoccer.com’s Team of the Week for the third straight match after netting the game-winning goal in a 1-0 RSL win over the San Jose Earthquakes Sunday at Avaya Stadium. However, it wasn’t just the goal that wowed Head Coach Jeff Cassar, but also his defensive effort in tracking back on a second-half play that thwarted a would-be attack for San Jose.
“He’s playing at an extremely high level right now and I think his confidence is very high,” Cassar said. “We’re going to talk a lot about that goal, but I’m going to think about the defensive play that he made in the second half. That was unbelievable. That’s what really holds dear to my heart because that’s the kind of thing that other people watch and see and it rallies them.”
Morales now has two goals and three assists and was joined by defender Tony Beltran on this week’s list of top players in MLS from the weekend’s matches. Morales now has a hand in five of the six goals scored this season, with the lone goal that didn’t include a goal or assist from the Argentine maestro coming on a penalty scored by Alvaro Saborio.
His play with the ball at his feet draws awe from fans and pundits alike, but also draws another level from his teammates, inspiring them to elevate their play to match his effort.
“I believe every time he shoots that he’s going to score or when he makes a final pass I believe that it’s going to come off,” RSL captain Kyle Beckerman said. “He works really hard at his craft. He’s constantly working hard in practice and you’re seeing it in the games. We want to get him the ball as much as possible.”
For Beltran, it was the first time making MLSSoccer.com’s Team of the Week this season and the second time an RSL defender earned the honor after Chris Schuler made the list after a Week 1 shutout of the Portland Timbers.
Morales and Beltran were joined on Team of the Week by goalkeeper Bill Hamid (D.C. United); Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders FC), Joevin Jones (Chicago Fire) and Aurelien Collin (Sporting Kansas City); midfielders Benoit Cheyrou (Toronto FC) and Russell Teibert (Vancouver Whitecaps FC); and forwards Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution), Maximiliano Urruti (Portland Timbers) and Kekutah Manneh (Vancouver Whitecaps FC).
Luke Mulholland, starting his second straight match, was included among the seven players listed on the bench for the week. For more on the Team of the Week, click here.
Real Salt Lake’s Team of the Week honorees include:
Week 1: Chris Schuler.
Week 2: Javier Morales.
Week 4: Javier Morales.
Week 5: Javier Morales, Tony Beltran.
