Donovan wins Player of the Week honors

Galaxy forward's hat trick, assist against D.C. seal Week 26 award

Major League Soccer Communications

Landon Donovan's inspired effort earned him his fourth Player of the Week award of the 2008 season. (R. Mora/Getty)

Landon Donovan's hat trick350K

NEW YORK -- Los Angeles Galaxy forward Landon Donovan was voted Major League Soccer's Player of the Week for Week 26 of the 2008 season. Donovan recorded a hat trick and an assist on Saturday, leading Los Angeles to a 5-2 victory over D.C. United and giving Bruce Arena his first win since taking over as head coach of the Galaxy. The win brought the Galaxy's record to 7-10-8, keeping them in the hunt for a playoff spot.

The Galaxy entered Saturday's match looking to snap their 12-game winless streak and avenge a 4-1 loss to United earlier in the season. Early in the game it seemed that United might again overpower the Galaxy as Devon McTavish scored just 71 seconds into the match.

Donovan leveled the score in the 23rd minute when he burst free behind the defense, taking Chris Klein's pass and beating a charge by United goalkeeper Louis Crayton with a deft outside of the foot shot. Just 13 minutes later, the Galaxy took the lead as Donovan sent a 22-yard shot into the side netting following a poor clearance. Los Angeles dominated the remainder of the half, and forward Alan Gordon converted a rebound for a 3-1 Galaxy lead at halftime.

D.C.'s Thabiso Khumalo scored in the 47th minute to bring the score to 3-2. In the 63rd minute, United's Marc Burch was shown a red card for taking down Beckham, and the Galaxy were up a man.

In the 81st minute, Donovan brilliantly orchestrated an insurance tally by luring the defense to him before chipping a pass to an unmarked Peter Vagenas, who tucked away his first goal of the year.

Donovan completed his hat trick in second-half stoppage time when he again received the ball from Klein and went in alone against Crayton.

Donovan's three goals on Saturday brought his season total to a league-leading 19, a career-high. He has scored 12 goals in a season three different times. Now in his eighth MLS season and his fourth with the Galaxy, he has been named to the MLS All-Star Team eight straight times.

This is Donovan's fourth Player of the Week award this season and the ninth of his career. He won back-to-back awards in weeks 4 and 5, and again in Week 13. Donovan has six multi-goal games this year. The Galaxy are back in action on Thursday when they travel to Chicago to take on the Fire in an MLS Primetime Thursday match.

The Major League Soccer Player of the Week is selected each week of the MLS regular season by a panel of journalists from The North American Soccer Reporters (NASR). The group consists of members of print, television, radio and online media. More information and membership information can be found at http://www.soccerreporters.com/.

2008 Player of the Week Winners

Week 1: Terry Cooke (Colorado Rapids)
Week 2: David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 3: Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew)
Week 4: Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 5: Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 6: David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 7: Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)
Week 8: Edson Buddle (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 9: Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Chicago Fire)
Week 10: Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake)
Week 11: Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo)
Week 12: Edson Buddle (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 13: Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 14: Steve Ralston (New England Revolution)
Week 15: Adam Cristman (New England Revolution)
Week 16: John Thorrington (Chicago Fire)
Week 17: Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew)
Week 18: Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas)
Week 19: Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas)
Week 20: Juan Pablo Angel (New York Red Bulls)
Week 21: Ronnie O'Brien (San Jose Earthquakes)
Week 22: Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew)
Week 23: Fabian Espindola (Real Salt Lake)
Week 24: Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew)
Week 25: Steve Ralston (New England Revolution)
Week 26: Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)