He may not have an AT&T Goal of the Week award this season, but Real Salt Lake's Javier Morales is certainly accustomed to finding the top corner. This time around, the RSL playmaker's precision free kick took home the weekly honor for Week 29, narrowly edging out the LA Galaxy's Juninho in a tight vote.
After teammate Fabian Espindola opened up the scoring against Portland at Rio Tinto Stadium with a free kick of his own, splitting the wall to find the bottom corner after Morales laid the ball off, the Argentine stepped over a dead ball on the left side of the 18-yard box and beat Timbers goalkeeper Joe Bendik at the near post. Bright Dike pulled one back for the visitors in the second half, but Morales' goal stood up for three points and, eventually, recognition as the week's top goal.
Morales is the third RSL player to win the award this season and the first since Kyle Beckerman finished atop the voting in Week 7.
CLICK HERE for all of this year's winners.
Final Vote Tally (online poll and text vote):
- J. Morales, Salt Lake, 35.4%
- Juninho, LA Galaxy, 31.5%
- D. Mwanga, Portland, 14.8%
- S. Dawkins, San Jose, 10.7%
- R. Keane, LA Galaxy, 7.6%
