MLS Player of the Week Jeff Parke celebrates after scoring the winning goal
(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
Jeff Parke is the MLS player of the Week for Week 10 of the 2011 season.
As if ten different winners from ten different clubs wasn’t unusual enough, this week’s vote produced a dead heat. Seattle Sounders Jeff Parke and Philadelphia Union’s Carlos Ruiz tied on both first preferences and additionally on second votes, which is used as the tie breaker.
This is unprecedented in NASR history and prompted a unique solution.
The NASR asked its members to vote in a run-off between Parke and Ruiz.
That run-off tilted the award by just one vote to Sounders FC’s Jeff Parke.
Parke is only the second defender to win the Award in five years. Columbus Crew’s Chad Marshall won it in Week 22 of the 2009 Season.
“Parke was a commanding force in nullifying the twin threat posed by the returning Omar Bravo and the dangerous Teal Bunbury [of Sporting KC]. Along with Jhon Hurtado, he kept them both quiet, as well as making some incredible blocks and tackles. To be honest, he already had my vote as Man of the Match before the goal,” wrote Prost Amerika editor Steve Clare.
Ruiz, who has come close to winning before, scored a wonder goal for the Philadelphia Union.
Many other players received first choice votes, including another Pacific Northwest defender Portland’s Eric Brunner, Toronto’s Jamaican defender Dicoy Williams, Ruiz’s team mate Michael Farfan, Matt Pickens (COL) and Simon Elliott (CHV).
However defenders have won this award in the past.
The following is a list of defending winners, although there is of course the caveat that some may have been playing in midfield on the week they did win (The number of awards is in parentheses):
Leonel Alvarez (1); Marcelo Balboa (3); Jonathan Bornstein (1); Jose Burciaga Jr. (1); Danny Califf (1); Ted Chronopoulos (1); Ramiro Corrales (1); Thomas Dooley (1); John Doyle (1); Brian Kamler (1); Chris Klein (6); Lubos Kubik (2) Chad Marshall (1); Ivan McKinley (1); Orlando Perez (1); Eric Quill (1); Bobby Rhine (1); Jim Rooney (1); Peter Vermes (1); Frank Yallop (1); Craig Ziadie (1)
How they Voted: Round 1
| Voter | POTW Choice | Second Choice |
| Shaun Schafer | Carlos Ruiz (PHI) | Matt Pickens (COL) |
| Kerith Gabriel | Carlos Ruiz (PHI) | |
| Don Ruiz | Carlos Ruiz (PHI) | David Beckham (LA) |
| Tom Timmermann | Carlos Ruiz (PHI) | Nick Rimando (RSL) |
| Steven Sandor | Dicoy Williams (TOR) | Troy Perkins (POR) |
| Orrin Schwartz | Eric Brunner (POR) | Jeff Parke (SEA) |
| Beau Dure | Eric Brunner (POR) | David Beckham (LA) |
| Jonathan Tannenwald | Jeff Parke (SEA) | Carlos Ruiz (PHI) |
| Frank Giase | Jeff Parke (SEA) | Eric Brunner (POR) |
| Phil Schoen | Jeff Parke (SEA) | Chad Barrett (LA) |
| Steve Clare | Jeff Parke (SEA) | Jackson (DAL) |
| Marc Connolly | Matt Pickens (COL) | Eric Brunner (POR) |
| JP Dellacamera | Matt Pickens (COL) | David Beckham (LA) |
| Scott French | Michael Farfan (PHI) | Dane Richards (NY) |
| Bobby McMahon | Simon Elliott (CHV) | Bobby Convey (SJ) |
How they voted in the run off:
| Jonah Freedman | Jeff Parke (SEA) |
| Nick Thomas | Jeff Parke (SEA) |
| Buzz Carrick | Jeff Parke (SEA) |
| Dan Girard | Jeff Parke (SEA) |
| Ives Galarcep | Jeff Parke (SEA) |
| Andrew Wiebe | Carlos Ruiz (PHI) |
| Frank Dell’Apa | Carlos Ruiz (PHI) |
| Glenn Davis | Carlos Ruiz (PHI) |
| Brian Balboa | Carlos Ruiz (PHI) |
Previous 2011 POTW Winners:
Week 9 Winner: Justin Braun (Chivas USA)
Week 8 Winner: Joao Plata (Toronto FC)
Week 7 Winner: Will Bruin (Houston Dynamo)
Week 6 Winner: Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy)
Week 5 Winner: Luke Rodgers (New York Red Bulls)
Week 4 Winner: David Ferreira (FC Dallas)
Week 3 Winner: Camilo (Vancouver Whitecaps)
Week 2 Winner: Javier Morales (RSL)
Week 1 Winner: Omar Bravo (SKC)
