PLAYER OF THE WEEK | Strikers Forward Stefano Pinho
Fort Lauderdale Strikers forward Stefano Pinho was named NASL Player of the Week after scoring both of his club’s goals in a 2-0 road win over FC Edmonton on Sunday afternoon.
The young Brazilian opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 58th minute and then sealed all three points for the Strikers with a late strike from close range in the 86th minute. The pair of goals brought Pinho’s total to nine this year – one shy of the league leader, San Antonio Scorpions forward Omar Cummings.
“I am happy to receive the award,” Pinho said. “We needed the victory, and I’m just glad that I was able to score two goals for my team to help them win. This honor is for all of my teammates, not just for me. We played a good game together against a tough team.”
Coming to the Strikers on loan from Brazilian powerhouse Fluminense prior to the season, Pinho has impressed in his first year in the NASL. The São João Nepomuceno, Brazil, native leads the team in scoring, and seems to be getting better every time he steps on the field.
“He, for sure, is deserving of this Player of the Week honor,” Strikers head coach Günter Kronsteiner said. “To score two goals away from home in such an important win was a big performance from him. I thought the whole team played well, not just Stefano. Edmonton is a tough place to play, but we didn’t allow them to create many chances and we finished ours. Stefano played a good game, he took his goals well, and I think he really earned this award.”
The 24-year-old forward has tallied three goals in his last two games, helping Fort Lauderdale move into sixth place in the Fall Season Standings and fifth in the Combined Standings - right in the thick of the race for a spot in The Championship, the league’s four-team postseason tournament.
The Strikers now return home to Lockhart Stadium, where they will play host to Indy Eleven on Saturday with a chance to push their unbeaten run to four games. The match can be seen live in the U.S. on ESPN3 and in Canada on NASL.com.
