San Jose Earthquakes Midfielder Vako Voted MLS Player of the Week

NEW YORK
(Monday, July 1, 2019)
– San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Vako was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Week for the 17
^th
week of the 2019 MLS season. 
Vako scored two goals in San Jose’s 2-0 home win over the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday before registering one goal and an assist in a 3-0 victory over the LA Galaxy on Saturday. The Georgia National Team player scored game-winning goals in both matches. On the season Vako has now scored four goals to go along with two assists in eight starts. San Jose sits in 5
^th
place in the Western Conference with 25 points (7-6-4 overall record).
San Jose took a 1-0 lead over Houston in the 22
^nd
minute when Vako collected a corner kick directly in front of goal and finished with a chip over the goalkeeper (
watch goal
). Vako then secured a brace in the 75
^th
minute with a curling shot from the top of the box to the left side of goal (
watch goal
).  
Vako continued his scoring ways in the California Clasico, taking an early 1-0 advantage against the Galaxy in the 11
^th
minute with a powerful shot from the top of the box towards the left side of goal (
watch goal
). San Jose then took a 2-0 lead in the 82
^nd
minute when Vako sent a pass over defenders to a wide open Shea Salinas, who finished with an impressive strike from the right side of the box (
watch assist
).  
San Jose returns to action on Wednesday when traveling to face Minnesota United FC at Allianz Field (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+), before hosting Real Salt Lake at Avaya Stadium on Saturday (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+).
The MLS Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while a Twitter fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio and online media.