SANDY, UTAH (Monday, July 15, 2019) – Real Salt Lake FW Jefferson Savarino was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Week for the 19th week of the 2019 MLS season, a first for the Venezuelan international since joining the league in 2017.
Savarino has previously been selected to the MLS Team of the Week on five separate occasions during the 2017 and 2018 seasons combined, his selection as the MLS Player of the Week and subsequent selection to the Team of the Week is a first for the forward this season.
Real Salt Lake defeated the Philadelphia Union 4-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday behind a dominant performance from Savarino who contributed two goals and an assist to help lift the team over the leaders in the East.
This season Savarino has recorded five goals and two assists and has tailed 18 goals and 18 assists during his career with RSL.
The Venezuela National Team star’ gave Real Salt Lake an early lead when he connected with a well-placed ball from DF Aaron Herrera before volleying it into the back of the net in the 23rd minute.
Savarino completed his third-career MLS brace in the 73rd minute with service from MF Kyle Beckerman to the feet of the open forward just inside the box to double the lead.
To finish off the night for the young Venezuelan, Savarino was able to recover the ball from a Philadelphia Union defender with a cheeky back-heel pass to Albert Rusnák in the 81st minute for the third goal of the night.
Real Salt Lake would go on to score one more goal to finish off the Union.
The MLS Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while a Twitter fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio and online media.
