Brazilian Picks Up Honors For Second Straight Week After Hat Trick Against Indy
Soccer News: Just when it seemed like Fort Lauderdale Strikers forward Stefano Pinho couldn’t possibly play any better, the young Brazilian turned in his best performance of the year on Saturday night. With three goals and an assist in the Strikers’ 7-1 win over Indy Eleven, Pinho was named North American Soccer League (NASL) Player of the Week on Monday.
“I’m honored to be named Player of the Week for the second week in a row,” Pinho said. “Saturday’s win was the result of a full team effort and many of my teammates are equally deserving of the award. We are starting to play good soccer as a team, and now we have to keep our focus going into our next game.”
Pinho kicked things off in stunning fashion on Saturday, firing home an acrobatic overhead kick in the second minute. The 24-year-old forward, who is with the Strikers on a season-long loan from Brazilian powerhouse Fluminense, found the net twice more – in the 77th and 81st minutes – to extend his team’s lead to 6-1. To top it off, he then turned provider and set up teammate and fellow Brazilian Victor “PC” Giro for Fort Lauderdale’s final goal.
“Anytime you score three goals in a match, you deserve this type of recognition,” said Strikers head coach Günter Kronsteiner. “Stefano was great on Saturday and as a forward, he took full advantage of the (opponent’s) red card to create and score chances. He is, for us, one of the key players at this time and I’m really happy that he is performing so well.”
The hat-trick performance was impressive in its own right, but Pinho’s three goals on Saturday night are only a part of quite a scoring run for the young Brazilian. He has found the net in each of his last three games, with the last two being most notable. Pinho’s hat trick on Saturday followed up a two-goal haul in the Strikers’ 2-0 win over FC Edmonton the week prior.
A native of São João Nepomuceno, Brazil, Pinho now leads the NASL in scoring with 12 goals this year. He passed San Antonio Scorpions forward Omar Cummings for the lead in the NASL Golden Boot race over the weekend. He is the first player to take home back-to-back NASL Player of the Week honors since former Minnesota United FC midfielder Miguel Ibarra achieved it during the 2014 Fall Season.
The Strikers have an off week before returning to the field on October 12 when they visit Ottawa Fury FC at TD Place. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET and the match can be seen live in the U.S. on ESPN3.
