Tuesday, August 19, 2003

 

TAMPA, FL -- United Soccer Leagues announced today the Team and Player of the Week for the A-League, honoring Pittsburgh's Thiago Martins as the Player of the Week for Week 18 of the season.

Chasing the Rochester Raging Rhinos for the second playoff berth in the Northeast Division, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds picked up two critical wins over the Toronto Lynx to move within two points of the Rhinos. Forward Thiago Martins played a hand in all four goals in the two victories and was honored as A-League Player of the Week.

In Friday's meeting in Pittsburgh, Martins provided the lone tally of the game in the 56th minute when he converted a penalty kick after being pulled down in the box by a Lynx defender.

Two nights later, the Riverhounds blanked the Lynx in Toronto, 3-0. Martins factored into all three goals earning five points on the night with two goals and one assist. He leads the league with 43 points on 19 goals and five assists. His offensive partner was fellow Brazilian Ricardo Villar, who had both assists on Martins' goals to increase his league-lead in assists with 12 on the season. The Riverhounds got on the board early on a quick re-start when the midfield sent the ball deep into the Lynx end to Villar. Villar dribbled around one defender and sent a cross from the far side into the penalty area to Martins, who one-timed the ball past Lynx goalkeeper Brian Rowland. The pair teamed up on the 'Hounds second goal when Villar went up in front of the Lynx goal to try to head the ball in, but it popped into the air. As it hit the pitch, Martins volleyed it past Rowland in the 56th minute for his second goal of the game. Martins earned his fifth point of the night and his fifth assist of the season when he poked a cross into the box in the 63rd minute directly to fellow forward Corey Woolfolk, who scored his eighth goal of the season.