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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Real Salt Lake's Chris Klein has been named Major League Soccer's Player of the Week and winner of the "Sierra Mist Goal of the Week" for his equalizing strike in the 76th minute against the Columbus Crew last week in Columbus. Klein had a goal in each of Real Salt Lake's two victories last week -- the 2-to-1 road win over Columbus and a 3-to-1 victory against the visiting Houston Dynamo.
This marks the first time this season Klein's won the award and the sixth time in his nine-year career. Klein gained more votes in a tight race with teammate Jeff Cunningham who was the winner of the previous two Player of the Week awards.
Klein helped lead Real Salt Lake to wins over the Columbus Crew and Houston Dynamo in Week 21, which extended the club's wining streak to four games and its unbeaten streak to five games during the regular season. On Wednesday, Aug. 16 against the Crew, Klein scored in the 75th minute on a right-footed blast from 15 yards out that snuck inside of the left goalpost.
On Saturday, Aug. 19 Klein struck again this time in first-half stoppage time. Carey Talley and Cunningham provided the assists on Klein's strike from the top of the area. The goal was Klein's fifth this year and the 44th of his career.
Klein is in his ninth season in Major League Soccer and first with Real Salt Lake. He spent his first eight years with the Kansas City Wizards before being traded to Real Salt Lake in January 2006. Klein has 49 assists to go with his 44 career goals. He's been selected to the MLS All-Star team four times in his career.
The Major League Soccer Player of the Week is selected each week of the MLS regular season by a panel of journalists from the Professional Soccer Reporters Association (PSRA).
2006 Player of the Week Winners
Week 1: Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo) Week 2: Jaime Moreno (D.C. United) Week 3: Cornell Glen (Los Angeles Galaxy) Week 4: Alecko Eskandarian (D.C. United) Week 5: Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy) Week 6: Dwayne De Rosario (Houston Dynamo) Week 7: Jeff Cunningham (Real Salt Lake) Week 8: Jean Philippe Peguero (New York Red Bulls) Week 9: Jaime Moreno (D.C. United) Week 10: Jeff Cunningham (Real Salt Lake) Week 11: Ante Razov (Chivas USA) Week 12: Scott Sealy (Kansas City Wizards) Week 13: Troy Perkins (D.C. United) Week 14: Clint Dempsey (New England Revolution) Week 15: Nicholas Hernandez (Colorado Rapids) Week 16: Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas) Week 17: Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA) Week 18: Jeff Cunningham (Real Salt Lake) Week 19: No winner named (All-Star break) Week 20: Jeff Cunningham (Real Salt Lake) Week 21: Chris Klein (Real Salt Lake)
