Major League Soccer announced Tuesday morning that forward Obafemi Martins of Seattle Sounders FC has been voted as the MLS Player of the Week for Week 9 of the Major League Soccer season.

Oba scored a brace and also picked up an assist on Clint Dempsey's goal in Sounders FC's 3-1 win over New York City FC on Sunday. The 30-year old Nigerian has been meshing extremely well with his teammates over the last few seasons, and manager Sigi Schmid seems to agree.

"The understanding between Dempsey and Oba has always been good, but the understanding between Oba and the rest of the team is getting better all the time.”

One of Martins's goals was the epitome of this statement; it came off a through ball that capped an 18-pass attacking sequence for Sounders.

The other of the pair came off a separate through ball and ended with a vintage Oba cartwheel and backflip.

Sounders are now on a tear in Major League Soccer's Western Conference, and Oba is on a roll of his own. Martins now has 6 goals and an assist on the season, not to mention his first Player of the Week honor in 2015 and the Goal of the Week honor from Week 7.

This MLS Player of the Week selection ties his single honor received last year for being the most outstanding player in a week of soccer. Martins won the Goal of the Week award four times last season, and with one of those under his belt this season, we'll see if he can live up to his high expectations.

Oba's six goals set him on pace to score around the same quantity of goals last MLS season. Martins put 17 shots into the net in 2014 to set a club record, and is on pace to match that total this season (or score 16 and two third goals...).

Obafemi Martins is certainly an elite quality goal scorer. Now it's time for him to overtake his own personal and club records. It's Oba time!

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About the author
Zach Drapkin
Philadelphia-based journalist with expertise in basketball, football, and soccer/fútbol.