MLS Round-Up
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Wherever Deshorn Brown has gone, he has found the back of the net.
It was true in the PDL, where in back-to-back seasons the standout striker recorded 22 goals for the Des Moines Menace and Reading United. It was also true in college soccer, where Brown scored 13 goals in 16 games for the University of Central Florida in 2012.
The standout rookie hasn’t quite achieved the same strike rate so far for the Colorado Rapids, but his speed and willingness to shoot have certainly drawn attention in his short time in Major League Soccer. Finding the back of the net for the second time this season against Chivas USA on Saturday, drawing a penalty and then converting from the spot for what proved to be the game-winning goal, Brown claimed SoccerByIves.net’s Rookie of the Week honor and continued to make his early case in the Rookie of the Year race.
Brown credits some of his development to the time he spent with both Des Moines and Reading, as he revealed in a recent Q&A with the Rapids website.
“Brendan Burke, he coaches the [Reading’s PDL] team, he’s a great guy,” Brown told Brian Jennings. “We worked a lot on my weaknesses, my finishing, when to hold the ball, my control. I’ve been able to achieve what I wanted to achieve and just keep going upwards. I went to the combine, and ended up here.”
With his first goal coming as part of the Rocky Mountain Cup rivalry with Real Salt Lake, and a clear nose for goal, Brown is on his way to establishing himself as a key piece for the future alongside former Austin Aztex standout Dillon Powers, who is also finding early success with the Rapids.
Brown’s performance during the weekend earned him an honorable mention on MLSSoccer.com’s Team of the Week, announced Tuesday, which also saw other former PDL standouts honored. Another former Reading standout, FC Dallas’ Matt Hedges, was named to the team after a solid performance in his club’s 1-0 win against the Los Angeles Galaxy that pushed Dallas to the top of the MLS standings.
The New York Red Bulls’ Dax McCarty, who earned All-Conference honors in the PDL with Ajax Orlando in 2005, also put in another sterling display to lead his side to a 2-0 victory against D.C. United. Also selected was Mamadou ‘Futty’ Danso of the Portland Timbers, who transitioned with the club from the USL First Division to Major League Soccer. Danso played a key role in stifling the potent attack of the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday night as the Timbers took a 1-0 win.