New York Red Bulls midfielder Mike Grella was voted MLS Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) for Week 15 of the MLS season, it was announced on Tuesday.
Grella struck twice in New York’s 2-0 win over the Seattle Sounders on Sunday, scoring in the 18th and 59th minutes to power the Red Bulls to their fourth-straight win in MLS play.
Grella was opportunistic on his first tally. Sacha Kljestan started the play, firing a curling shot from the left side of the area off of the left post. Grella latched on to the rebound at the top of the six-yard box, burying the chance with his first touch to give the Red Bulls an early advantage.
He doubled New York’s advantage seconds shy of the hour mark, running onto another loose ball just outside the area after Seattle defender Brad Evans couldn’t fully clear a Bradley Wright-Phillips through ball before smartly chipping onrushing goalkeeper Stefan Frei to make it 2-0.
Grella now has six goals and three assists in 15 games this year for the surging Red Bulls, who moved within one point of the Philadelphia Union for the Eastern Conference lead with Sunday’s win. New York have rebounded nicely after their brutal 1-6-0 start to the season, going 6-1-1 in their last eight MLS matches to move above the red line.
Grella and the Red Bulls will return to action on Wednesday, when they’ll take on Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium (10 pm ET; MLS LIVE).
