Rookie Chris Pontius wins MLS Goal of the Week for D.C. United

D.C. United’s Chris Pontius has been awarded this week’s MLS Goal of the Week by Major League Soccer.  The winning tally was scored in the 86th minute of United’s 3-3 draw with Toronto FC.  On the play, Rodney Wallace sent a centering pass towards the top of the penalty area.  After Jaime Moreno’s feigned an attempt to play the ball created space, Pontius struck a right-footed blast past Stefan Frei and just below the cross bar.

In his first professional season, Pontius is an early favorite for League Rookie of the Year honors.  In nine games (eight starts) in League play this season, the Yorba Linda, CA native has totaled three goals and two assists.  Pontius was originally selected by United with the seventh selection in the first round of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft.

D.C. United (3-1-5, 14 points) is currently riding a six-game unbeaten streak in all competitions and stands alone in first place of Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference standings. The club travels to Los Angeles this Saturday for a showdown with Chivas USA (7-1-1, 22 points), who stands in first place in the Western Conference table.  The game is set to kick-off at 11:00 p.m. ET before a live national television audience on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Espanol.  The team returns to RFK Stadium next week for a U.S. Open Cup qualifier against New York on May 20, followed by a League fixture with Real Salt Lake May 23.