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SBI Player of the Week: Chris Pontius

Chris Pontius (Getty Images)

If there were any lingering doubts over Chris Pontius being able to return to the form he showed before suffering a broken leg last season, he put those doubts to rest against the New York Red Bulls.

Pontius inspired D.C. United to a big 4-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Sunday with the first hat-trick of his career. He opened the scoring early with a beautiful blast before netting two more times, a performance impressive enough to see him earn the SBI MLS Player of the Week award.

The D.C. United striker beat out a group of candidates that included Columbus Crew midfielder Eddie Gaven, Houston Dynamo's Will Bruin and Patrick Nyarko of the Chicago Fire.

What do you think of Pontius' performance? Who did you think was this week's best player?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Yeah I kind of agree, but he also hasn’t stayed healthy enough yet to realize his full potential. He could improve.

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  2. I just don’t see him in the Nats setup beyond Camp Cupcake/emergency callup fodder. He’s got 1 move – deke left, push it to the right foot, 1 touch and shoot. That’s good enough for 5-8 goals in MLS, but unless he develops a couple more moves, he’s not popping the 10-15 goals that’s needed to break into the Nats.

    He’s not all that young either at 24.

    I love watching him play for United but basically see him as a MLS lifer.

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  3. I’d put him in the same ballpark as Gomez & Wondo in a year or 2. He’s a very decent forward and does a great job of playing off a central striker or taking on defenses 1 v 1. The question will be can he keep it up over a period of time, continue to improve. If he can do these 2 things wouldn’t mind seeing him as a winger in a 4-3-3 formation.

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  4. 2 Gauchos, 2 MLS PotW the past 2 weeks. I like that. CP13 was just doing what he has always done, just at a position he hasn’t played since college.

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  5. I wouldn’t say “ever”. Pontius was a late bloomer, never having been in the big youth clubs, never having been invited into the US set-up. He is still young, and still has considerable growth potential. You underestimate his ceiling when you dismiss his potential to play for the national team. GIve him a year, and I think he will be ahead of a number of the MLSers who are often tabbed for back-up roles. Give him 2-4 years, when he’s hitting his prime, and he could force his way into the starting lineup. I”m not predicting that will happen, but I don’t think it’s absurd to contemplate, either.

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  6. Pontius had a great match. He provides solid center-forward hold up play, and has demonstrated an ability to run at and take on defenders (unfortunately his simple crossover move to put the ball on his right foot so he can go far-post is not enough of an arsenal to do this at the highest level).

    He should definitely be on Juergen’s radar for January’s camp. He’s not a national team starter (now, or probably ever), but that doesn’t mean that he can’t provide us with some depth during our qualifying run. The guys that would be in competition with for 4th and 5th forward spots during the hex could suffer injuries or loss of form, and who fills in for those spots should be the questions that we are using that January camp to answer.

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  7. I’ve saying for 2 years that Pontius should be a striker — that he jus looks like the prototype striker. What was lacking was better finishing and experience. If he gets the chance to play there every week, I think he’ll play himself back into the national team picture by the end of the year.

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  8. Absolutely, especially considering the circumstances of him having to “prove” his way back into the starting line-up. Exclamation point for him!

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