Toronto FC star forward Sebastian Giovinco has been voted as the Major League Soccer Player of the Week for week 19 of the 2015 MLS season. Giovinco becomes the first player in franchise history to be named the Player of the Week three times in one season.
The Italian bagged a nine-minute hat trick in the first half of Toronto’s game on Saturday at Yankee Stadium against New York City FC. The hat trick was the third quickest in MLS history. Giovinco broke yet another record, as has become a theme this season, becoming the first Toronto FC player to score a hat trick in league play.
On the season, Giovinco has totaled 12 goals and nine assists in all competitions for TFC. Having just played 17 games this season, he has already become the franchise leader in league assists in one season (8), shots in one season (98), and shots on goal (42). As it sits, he is tied for second for the franchise record for goals scored in a season with 11.
Giovinco becomes the ninth player in Toronto FC history to win MLS Player of the week.
As they like to call him, the “Atomic Ant” has taken the league by storm and has dominated teams by himself on more than one occasion. It bags the question, how can a player of his caliber who is having the type of season he is having, not make the MLS All-Star Game?
Toronto FC supporters may not be too bothered by the snub, however, as it is one less game where their star forward can hurt himself. With the numbers he is putting up and the performances he is putting on display, Giovinco may very well be on the road to becoming one of the MLS’ greatest all time players, if not the greatest.