DC United: Tai Baribo named Player of the Matchday | OneFootball

By Justin Ruderman

Player of the Matchday 9: Tai Baribo

Tai Baribo stole the headlines during a Matchday 9 thriller to claim MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob ULTRA honors.

The Israeli international scored three goals as D.C. United rallied twice to earn a point in a wild 4-4 draw at Red Bull New York on Wednesday evening. 

The hat trick marked Baribo's third since the start of 2024, becoming the third MLS player to do so alongside Nashville SC's Sam Surridge and LAFC's Denis Bouanga.

Since joining D.C. over the winter via trade with the Philadelphia Union, Baribo has netted six goals in his first eight games to be among the Golden Boot presented by Audi frontrunners.

This is Baribo's fourth MLS Player of the Matchday since the start of 2024, which is second-most behind only Inter Miami CF superstar Lionel Messi (14). 

D.C. United and Baribo return to action on Saturday when hosting Orlando City at Audi Field (7:30 pm ET | Apple TV).

The MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob ULTRA is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while an Instagram fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.