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Come Fan with UsFriday, June 19, 2026

Dax McCarty wins MLS Player of the Week award for Week 12

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Red Bulls had a good week in MLS, winning two games by a combined 8-0 score.

What’s that? One of those games they won 7-0? Away at their local rivals?!

Yes, even though the Red Bulls were the only team to get six points last week, their dull midweek win over Chicago was overshadowed by one of the most astounding scorelines in MLS history, a 7-0 demolition of New York City FC at Yankee Stadium.

And so it came down to two Red Bulls players, Dax McCarty and Bradley Wright-Phillips, for SB Nation’s MLS Player of the Week honors. Both players had braces in the derby win, but McCarty just edged ahead of his teammate -- maybe that midweek game made the difference in the minds of the voters?

Full results for Week 12, with first-place votes getting three points, second-place votes receiving two points and third-place votes earning a point each:

Player Points
Dax McCarty 14
Bradley Wright-Phillips 13
Cyle Larin 9
Darlington Nagbe 6
Diego Valeri 3
Joe Bendik 3
Kellyn Acosta 2
Mike Grella 2
Richie Marquez 2
Sacha Kljestan 2
Marc Burch 1
Axel Sjoberg 1
Justen Glad 1
Clint Irwin 1

And here are the full ballots for Week 12:

Voter 1st 2nd 3rd
Kartik Krishnaiyer (Bitter and Blue) Dax McCarty Darlington Nagbe Bradley Wright-Phillips
Drew Epperley (Big D Soccer) Bradley Wright-Phillips Kellyn Acosta Cyle Larin
Rob Usry (Dirty South Soccer) Dax McCarty Mike Grella Darlington Nagbe
Michael Citro (The Mane Land) Bradley Wright-Phillips Joe Bendik Darlington Nagbe
Eugene Rupinski (Brotherly Game) Bradley Wright-Phillips Richie Marquez Joe Bendik
Jason Anderson (Black and Red United) Diego Valeri Sacha Kljestan Cyle Larin
Alicia Tolar (Dynamo Theory) Bradley Wright-Phillips Cyle Larin Marc Burch
Weston Jenson (RSL Soapbox) Cyle Larin Dax McCarty Axel Sjoberg
Alicia Rodriguez (The Goat Parade) Dax McCarty Cyle Larin Justen Glad
Dave Rowaan (Waking the Red) Dax McCarty Darlington Nagbe Clint Irwin

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