Because when the Chivas USA were on TV several times earlier in the year, he was pretty bad - horrible shooting, horrible dribbling, horrible passing ... and a horrible haircut to boot. Having said that - and I am not even going to harp on a UCLA grad with very little skill coming out of college - the most impressive thing about the Chivas USA vs. RSL was their movement. I think Westerhof's influence is being felt already. You can see very good off-the-ball runs, quick one-touch passing and improved reading of the opposing defense gaps from the highlight reel. That's the right directions not only for Matt Taylor but for the league overall.
"clear winner for the week" Haven't seen anything official on MLSnet.com yet, but anyway: Taylor wins MLS Player of the Week (ussoccerplayers.com)
Greatest post-goal commentary I've ever heard, starting at around 3:54 on the highlight reel. Rongen: "Que golazo! Again, nice left ball by uh left-footed ball by... shoelaces... perfection." Thought I suspect Rongen was struggling to say Taylor's name without spitting out one of the dozen Dutchspañol insults he used to hurl at him during Chivas' practices, Rongen's random slip of the tongue may have bore an impossibly cool nickname: Matt "Shoelaces" Taylor.
If he doesn't disappear from the US Soccer scene as fast as he entered it, Matt "Shoelaces" Taylor may be one of those immortal nicknames.