De Ro takes scoring lead with four-goal week
- by Mike Woitalla @MikeWoitalla, Sep 26, 2011
[MLS GOLEADORES] D.C. United's Dwayne De Rosario scored a hat trick on Saturday and struck in the midweek to take the lead among MLS scorers,
moving ahead of Thierry Henry and Landon Donovan, who had been atop for most of the season. For the latest on the Golden Boot race ...
*
Dwayne De Rosario assisted on D.C. United's first goal (by Andy Najar), then scored the next three in a 4-1 win over Real Salt Lake that boosts
United's playoff hopes. On Wednesday, De Ro scored in a 2-2 tie with Chivas USA. His total of 13 pulls him ahead of Donovan and Henry in the Golden Boot race.
The 33-year-old De Roasrio, an
11-year MLS veteran who has won four MLS Cups -- a pair each with San Jose and Houston -- is on track for his highest scoring season. He scored 15 goals for Toronto FC last year and twice hit 11 (in
2009 for Toronto and in 2006 for Houston).
He has scored 90 career regular-season goals and 62 assists. He has 11 assists this season. Of his 13 goals this season, he scored once in two
games for Toronto, two in 13 games for New York, and 10 in 13 games since joining D.C. United.
* Chivas USA's Juan Pablo Angel also scored four goals in two Week 28 games.
He struck twice in Chivas USA's 3-0 win over Toronto on Saturday and delivered both goals in Wednesday's tie with D.C. United. The 35-year-old Colombian has nine goals this season -- six in six games
since joining Chivas USA from Los Angeles in mid-August to make room for Robbie Keane. Angel has scored at least 12 goals in each season since joining the league in 2007, when his 19
strikes were second best in the league.
* Two other players scored multiple goals in Week 28 games. Fredy Montero struck twice for Seattle in a 3-1 win
over Vancouver and Real Salt Lake's Fabian Espindola scored twice in Wednesday's 3-1 win at New York. Montero and Espindola each have nine goals this season.
* Chicago's Dominic Oduro scored the Fire's second goal in a 3-2 win over New England -- the 26-year-old Ghanaian's 11th strike of the season. In MLS since 2006, his best
previously had been five goals in a season.
* MLS Leading Scorers
| Player | Team | Goals | Assists |
| Dwayne De
Rosario | D.C. United | 13 | 11 |
| Thierry Henry | New York | 12 | 4 |
| Landon Donovan | Los Angeles | 12 | 3 |
| Chris Wondolowski | San Jose | 11 | 3 |
| Dominic Oduro | Chicago | 11 | 2 |
| Andres Mendoza | Columbus | 11 | 2 |
| Charlie Davies | D.C.
United | 11 | 1 |
| Brek Shea | FC Dallas | 10 | 3 |
| Alvaro Saborio | Real Salt Lake | 10 | 2 |
| Eric Hassli | Vancouver | 10 | 1 |
Charlie Davies needs an * after his name
I assume you think Davies needs an * after his name because of the number of his goals that are penalties? In that case Donovan would also need one since he has scored an equal number from the spot. Mendoza would need two since 5 of his 11 goals were penalties. Of the top 3 goal scorers on this list, only Henry does not take penalties. The award has traditionaly gone to the top goal scorer, not the top goal scorer in open play. If you want to honor those who score without the benefit of penalties, by all means go ahead; but spare us the *.