CHICAGO – Chicago Red Stars forward Yuki Nagasato was voted the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Player of the Week by the NWSL Media Association for Week 10 of the 2018 NWSL season.
Nagasato, 30, scored her first goal of the season to lead the Red Stars to a 2-0 victory over the Washington Spirit at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md. With the win, Chicago snapped a seven-game winless streak.
The Atsugi, Japan native created the opening goal of the match in the 25th minute as she sent a bending free kick over the wall towards the near post forcing a diving save from Washington Spirit goalkeeper Kelsey Wys. However, Wys was unable to hold onto the ball in the driving rain and Samantha Kerr came flying to bury the rebound in the back of the net.
The Japan international gave her team 2-0 advantage in the 48th minute after collecting a long ball into the box and dropping it to Alyssa Mautz, who played the ball back to her just inside the top of the box. Nagasato took a single touch and fired a left-footed shot skipped into the lower corner.
Nagasato played all 90 minutes of the game and finished the match against the Spirit with two shots (two on target) and one chances created on 43 touches, according to Opta.
It is the first time Nagasato has been honored as the NWSL Player of the Week and the 12th time a member of Red Stars has won the award. She is the first Japan international to win the award since Seattle Reign FC midfielder Nahomi Kawasumi claimed the honor in week 5 of the 2017 NWSL season.
The Chicago Red Stars will return to action Saturday, June 16 at 3:30 p.m. ET against the Portland Thorns fC in the NWSL Game of the Week on Lifetime at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill.
The NWSL Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season by the NWSL Media Association, a collection of writers that cover the league on a consistent basis. For more information on the NWSL Media Association, follow them on Twitter.
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