New York Red Bulls midfielder Lloyd Sam was named Major League Soccer's Player of the Week for Week 23. Sam came off the bench and had an assist and the eventual game-winning goal in the Red Bulls' 3-2 win over Sporting Kansas City last Saturday at Sporting Park, pushing the Red Bulls to first place in the Eastern Conference.

The MLS Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season by a panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR).

Making his 15th appearance of the season, Sam entered the game, tied at 1-1 at the time, in the 60th minute for Eric Alexander. Sam was instrumental in putting the Red Bulls up, 2-1, in the 63rd minute, sliding a well-weighted through ball to an onside Fabian Espindola, who found the back of the net on the play. Six minutes later, Sam got his name on the scoresheet. The Englishman was able to collect a Jonny Steele cross on a counterattack, cut to his left foot and put it past goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen. Sam was forced to leave the game with a left quadriceps injury in the 87th minute.