MLS

• Schelotto's performance earns him Week 3 MLS Player of Week

  
  

  New York, NY (Sports Network) - Columbus Crew midfielder Guillermo Barros Schelotto was voted as Major League Soccer's Player of the Week for Week 3 of the 2008 season, it was announced on Monday. The Argentine veteran scored a goal and tallied two assists as the Crew topped Chivas USA, 4-3, on Saturday night at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

  The Crew attack combined to set up the first goal in the 25th minute. Robbie Rogers sent a cross in from the wing for Alejandro Moreno who was taken down by Chivas defender Jim Curtin in the penalty area. Schelotto stepped up and struck the ball down the middle beating Brad Guzan as he dove to his right.

  "Obviously, I just wanted to make sure that I scored instead of trying to get cute with it and go either way," Schelotto said. "I just tried to strike it hard and the goalkeeper went the wrong way."

  In the 35th minute, after Chivas USA had equalized, Moreno played a ball on to a streaking Schelotto. As the defenders closed in, Schelotto cut the ball inside at the top of the box and laid it off for Moreno who finished low to the near post.

  "It's great fun when he's up for the game, and he knows that," Moreno said of combining with Schelotto. "We depend a lot on what he does and when's going from the get-go, it makes things a lot easier for all of us because he can find the passes that not many people in this league can find."

  The Crew struck again after halftime when Schelotto threaded a ball through the Goats defense to Rogers, who touched it inside and slipped it past Guzan to put Columbus up 3-1.

  "It's something I look for, to find Robbie in behind the defenders, making those runs and the important thing is that he was calm, and he put the ball into the back of the net," Schelotto said. "We're happy about the victory and, beyond whatever I did individually, I'm just happy the team got three points (Saturday night)."

  Chivas USA would strike twice to equalize, but the Crew pressed on and Rogers struck a shot from just outside the penalty area, through the hands of Guzan for the game winner.

  The Crew (2-1-0) are back in action on Thursday when they travel to face D.C. United at RFK Stadium.

  Below is the list of the 2008 MLS Player of the Week winners to date:

  Week 1: Terry Cooke (Colorado Rapids).

  Week 2: David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy).

  Week 3: Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew).

  04/14 18:06:49 ET