CHICAGO (June 27, 2017) – Major League Soccer announced Tuesday that Fire midfielder David Accam was voted the Alcatel MLS Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) for the 17
th
week of the 2017 MLS season.
Accam scored three goals and added an assist in Chicago’s 4-0 victory over Orlando City SC on Saturday at Toyota Park, recording his first career MLS hat trick and becoming the seventh Fire player to do so. Accam is currently tied for third in the Golden Boot standings with 10 goals scored to go along with six assists, as he is tied for the league lead in combined goals and assists this season. After winning its third consecutive match, and extending its unbeaten mark to nine games, Chicago now sits in second place in the Eastern Conference and Supporters’ Shield standings with 34 points (10-3-4 overall record).
The 26-year-old put Chicago up 1-0 in the third minute with a confidently finished backheel goal from close range off a Matt Polster pass (Watch Goal). Accam would then record his first brace in MLS with a goal in the eighth minute to put Chicago ahead 2-0, receiving a pass from Bastian Schweinsteiger and rounding goalkeeper Joe Bendik before finishing with a right-footed strike from directly in front of goal (Watch Goal).
Accam added an assist after threading the defense with a beautifully placed pass to set up Nemanja Nikolic’s league-leading 14
th
goal of the season in the 52
nd
minute for a 3-0 Fire advantage (Watch Assist). In the 63
rd
minute, Accam completed his hat trick by hammering home a right-footed penalty kick to put Chicago ahead 4-0 (Watch Goal).
Hailing from Accra, Ghana, Accam is currently with the Black Stars for their friendlies against Mexico at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on Wednesday, June 28 and the United States in East Hartford, Conn. on Saturday, July 1.
Accam made his first senior appearance for Ghana on Jan. 19, 2015 in the 2015 African Cup of Nations. He has since earned a total of seven caps for his country and scored his first international goal against Mauritius on June 14, 2015.
The Chicago Fire next play USL club FC Cincinnati in the U.S. Open Cup at Nippert Stadium on Wednesday (7 p.m. CT, ESPN2) before returning to MLS action on Saturday, July 1 to host Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Toyota Park (6:00 p.m. CT, CSN+/Univision Chicago1200AM).
The MLS Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season by a panel of journalists from NASR. The group consists of members of print, television, radio and online media.
