FC Dallas midfielder Alan Velasco was named to the Week 25 Team of the Week on Monday after scoring a goal and earning an assist against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday. He is joined on the honorary weekly team by fellow FC Dallas forward Jesus Ferreira, who is making his fourth appearance of the year, though from the bench this time. Ferreira scored twice in the win against San Jose, including a goal set up by Velasco.
Velasco joins three other FC Dallas players who have been named to Team of the Week presented by Audi this season.
In addition to Ferreira, Paul Arriola made the team in Weeks 10 and 14 as a starter and was on the bench for Week 13, while goaltender Maarten Paes was named to the bench in Weeks 22 and 23.
Ferreira has made the most appearances this season, starting in Weeks 4, 6, and 11, plus his Week 25 bench assignment.
The Team of the Week by Audi is intended as an honor to recognize outstanding performances by Major League Soccer players. Audi is a major sponsor of soccer programs in the U.S. The Team of the Week helps draw awareness to Audi’s “Drive Progress” campaign.
The auto manufacturer has pledged to provide $500 for each goal scored during the regular season. So far, Audi is on the hook for $525,500 that will be donated to fund MLS Youth Acadamy programs league-wide.
Highlight reels this week showcase the goal Velasco scored in the 57th minute. He took a soft touch pass from outside the box, moved right, and peeled off a line drive shot that easily beat San Jose goalkeeper J.T. Marcinkowski. At that point, FC Dallas was up 4-0 before ultimately winning 4-1.
The win was the first time FC Dallas had beaten San Jose in more than six years.
Ferreira earned his 13th goal of the season and currently holds the distinction of scoring the fastest goal in MLS this season at the three-minute mark. Ferreira received a well-timed pass from Velasco and put a shot into the net for the early 1-0 lead.
His second goal of the season came at the 41-minute mark that was set up by back-and-forth passes from Arreola. Ferreira caught his own deflected shot for the 3-0 goal.
Ferreira is in the running for the Golden Boot Award presented by Audi. The award is given to the MLS player who scores the most goals in a season.
Ferreira currently has 15 goals after scoring the only goal in the 1-0 win against Philadelphia last night. That places him in a tie for second place along with Brandon Vazquez of FC Cincinnati. Sebastian Driussi of in-state Austin FC leads the league with 17 goals.
The victory over San Jose marked only the third victory since returning from the break. After Wednesday’s win over Philadelphia, they are 4-4-5 since returning on June 18.
FC Dallas remains in playoff competition as the 2022 season winds down. The team currently sits in third place in the Western Conference with a four-point lead over Minnesota. Only seven games remain in the regular season that will come to a close on October 9.
