For all the stars acquired by MLS clubs in the offseason, Sebastian Giovinco may have made the biggest impact so far.
Giovinco leads the league with 16 goals in 21 games, adding 10 assists, after striking for his second hat trick of the season on Wednesday night. He added his first Etihad Airways Player of the Month award on Thursday, winning the July voting with 35.66 percent of the vote after yet another outstanding month.
In four July games, Giovinco put up five goals and three assists, including at least one goal and one assist in three consecutive games, while keeping Toronto FC in the playoff race in the Eastern Conference.
Giovinco's standout game came at Yankee Stadium on July 12, when he scored three goals in the final 12 minutes of the first half to put the Reds ahead 3-2 in a game that eventually finished in a 4-4 tie.
One of Giovinco's counterparts in that game, New York City FC Designated Player David Villa, finished second in the July voting with more than 23 percent of the vote, while the Columbus Crew SC's Ethan Finlay came in third with more than 22 percent.
The LA Galaxy's Robbie Keane and FC Dallas center back Matt Hedges finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Final Resuts for Etihad Airways Player of the Month (July)
- Sebastian Giovinco (TOR) 35.66%
- David Villa (NYC) 23.07%
- Ethan Finlay (CLB) 22.24%
- Robbie Keane (LA) 10.59%
- Matt Hedges (DAL) 8.45%
