NEW YORK – San Francisco Deltas forward Tommy Heinemann Wednesday was named North American Soccer League player of the week after scoring both goals in a 2-0 win over Puerto Rico FC Sunday night.
The St. Louis native found the back of the net in each half to to pull the Deltas within four points of league-leading Miami FC entering the final two weeks of the spring season.
Needing three points to stay in the hunt for the spring season title, the Deltas didn’t waste any time getting on the scoreboard. Heinemann jumped high to meet midfielder Danny Cruz’s cross in the 24th minute, beating a goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg at Kezar Stadium.
On the other side of halftime, Heinemann used some individual skill to score his second goal. The 30-year-old forward ran onto a long ball from midfielder Tyler Gibson before taking a touch and curling an effort over Spangenberg to double San Francisco’s advantage.
The result, combined with Miami FC’s loss to North Carolina FC, shrunk the gap between first and second place to four points. San Francisco and Miami are about to play each other on back-to-back weekends to determine who will get the silverware.
In his first season with San Francisco, Heinemann has lived up to his reputation as a reliable frontman. An imposing figure at 6-4, Heinemann has scored six goals in all competitions this year, including a pair of two-goal games that both won him player of the week honors.
Since coming over from Major League Soccer in 2014, Heinemann has scored 26 league goals for three different NASL clubs. He made his professional debut in 2009 with the Charleston Battery and played for MLS clubs – Columbus Crew and Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
Kickoff for Saturday’s game is 7:30 p.m. ET at Riccardo Silva Stadium, and the clash will be featured on beIN SPORTS USA as the league’s national TV game.
