RSL's Saborio claims MLS Player of the Week honor

New York, NY – Real Salt Lake forward Alvaro Saborio was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Week on Monday for Week 22 of the 2013 season.

Saborio netted a hat trick against Red Bull New York on Saturday as his team nearly overcame a two-goal deficit before falling 4-3.

Goals from Tim Cahill and Fabian Espindola handed the Red Bulls a 2-0 lead inside of 25 minutes before Saborio rattled off three successive goals.

The first came from the penalty spot just before halftime after Olmes Garcia drew a foul, while the next two arrived three minutes apart to put RSL ahead 3-2 with eight minutes to play.

However, New York rallied to claim the 4-3 win with late strikes from Espindola and Dax McCarty, spoiling Saborio's big day.

In nine games for Salt Lake this season, Saborio has netted seven goals.

The MLS Player of the Week award is selected each week by the North American Soccer Reporters. The group consists of members of online, print, television, and radio media.

2013 MLS Player of the Week winners:

Week 1: Mike Magee (Los Angeles Galaxy)

Week 2: Robert Earnshaw (Toronto FC)

Week 3: Bill Hamid (D.C. United)

Week 4: Juan Agudelo (Chivas USA)

Week 5: Will Johnson (Portland Timbers)

Week 6: Ryan Johnson (Portland Timbers)

Week 7: Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo)

Week 8: Jack McInerney (Philadelphia Union)

Week 9: Tim Cahill (Red Bull New York)

Week 10: Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

Week 11: Will Bruin (Houston Dynamo)

Week 12: Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders)

Week 13: Marco Di Vaio (Montreal Impact)

Week 14: Diego Fagundez (New England Revolution)

Week 15: Olmes Garcia (Real Salt Lake)

Week 16: Kenny Miller (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)

Week 17: Camilo Sanvezzo (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)

Week 18: Alan Gordon (San Jose Earthquakes)

Week 19: Brad Knighton (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)

Week 20: Camilo Sanvezzo (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)

Week 21: Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire)

Week 22: Alvaro Saborio (Real Salt Lake)