NEW YORK (Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014) – Major League Soccer has announced the finalists for its 2014 awards. The winners of each award will be revealed in the coming weeks.
The finalists for each award, listed in alphabetical order below, earned the most votes in polling of three voting groups:
The finalists for each award, listed in alphabetical order below, earned the most votes in polling of three voting groups:
· Current MLS players
· MLS Clubs (Coaches, Technical Directors, Chief Business Officers and PR/Community Relations)
· Media members who covered MLS regularly in 2014
The 2014 Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable Player award will be presented on Wednesday, Dec. 3. For the first time since 2010, all three MVP finalists are in contention to hoist MLS Cup, as Robbie Keane, Obafemi Martins and Lee Nguyen will all take part in the Conference Championships this weekend.
Sigi Schmid will look to earn his third Coach of the Year award which would tie the Seattle Sounders FC head coach with LA Galaxy’s Bruce Arena. He faces stiff competition with finalists the likes of Gregg Berhalter of Columbus Crew SC and Ben Olsen of D.C. United. Olsen completed the single biggest points turn around (16 to 59) in MLS history with D.C. United, taking the team from last place in 2013 to top the Eastern Conference this season.
The most outstanding individual plays of the 2014 season will be honored on Thursday, Dec. 4 when the AT&T Goal of the Year and Save of the Year are announced. Voting for the Goal and Save of the Year is conducted at MLSsoccer.com.
2014 Major League Soccer Awards Finalists
(Listed in alphabetical order by last name within each award category)
Volkswagen Most Valuable Player Finalists
Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy)
Obafemi Martins (Seattle Sounders FC)
Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution)
AT&T Rookie of the Year Finalists
Tesho Akindele (FC Dallas)
Steven Birnbaum (D.C. United)
Harrison Shipp (Chicago Fire)
Defender of the Year Finalists
Bobby Boswell (D.C. United)
Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy)
Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders FC)
Coach of the Year Finalists
Gregg Berhalter (Columbus Crew SC)
Ben Olsen (D.C. United)
Sigi Schmid (Seattle Sounders FC)
Comeback Player of the Year Finalists
Charlie Davies (New England Revolution)
Stefan Frei (Seattle Sounders FC)
Rodney Wallace (Portland Timbers)
Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year Finalists
Steve Clark (Columbus Crew SC)
Bill Hamid (D.C. United)
Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Newcomer of the Year Finalists
Stefan Ishizaki (LA Galaxy)
Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution)
Pedro Morales (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year Finalists
Diego Chara (Portland Timbers)
AJ DeLaGarza (LA Galaxy)
Zach Loyd (FC Dallas)
Xbox Individual Fair Play Finalists*
Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers)
Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew SC)
Harrison Shipp (Chicago Fire)
*Selected by MLS based on objective criteria such as fouls committed, cards received, games & minutes played, as well as subjective evaluation of sportsmanlike behavior.
Xbox Team Fair Play Finalists*
LA Galaxy
Philadelphia Union
Real Salt Lake
*Selected by MLS based on objective criteria such as fewest fouls committed, cards received, and on subjective evaluation of sportsmanlike behavior.
Referee of the Year Finalists
Mark Geiger
Jair Marrufo
Alan Kelly
Assistant Referee of the Year Finalists
Peter Manikowski
Paul Scott
Adam Wienckowski
Awards Announcements Schedule:
Schedule subject to change
November 24: AT&T Rookie of the Year, Xbox Fair Play Individual and Team of the Year
November 25: MLS Defender of the Year, MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year, and Referee/Assistant Referee of the Year
December 2: MLS Coach of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year and MLS Best XI
December 3: Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Volkswagen MLS MVP
December 4: AT&T Goal of the Year, MLS Save of the Year
· MLS Clubs (Coaches, Technical Directors, Chief Business Officers and PR/Community Relations)
· Media members who covered MLS regularly in 2014
The 2014 Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable Player award will be presented on Wednesday, Dec. 3. For the first time since 2010, all three MVP finalists are in contention to hoist MLS Cup, as Robbie Keane, Obafemi Martins and Lee Nguyen will all take part in the Conference Championships this weekend.
Sigi Schmid will look to earn his third Coach of the Year award which would tie the Seattle Sounders FC head coach with LA Galaxy’s Bruce Arena. He faces stiff competition with finalists the likes of Gregg Berhalter of Columbus Crew SC and Ben Olsen of D.C. United. Olsen completed the single biggest points turn around (16 to 59) in MLS history with D.C. United, taking the team from last place in 2013 to top the Eastern Conference this season.
The most outstanding individual plays of the 2014 season will be honored on Thursday, Dec. 4 when the AT&T Goal of the Year and Save of the Year are announced. Voting for the Goal and Save of the Year is conducted at MLSsoccer.com.
2014 Major League Soccer Awards Finalists
(Listed in alphabetical order by last name within each award category)
Volkswagen Most Valuable Player Finalists
Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy)
Obafemi Martins (Seattle Sounders FC)
Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution)
AT&T Rookie of the Year Finalists
Tesho Akindele (FC Dallas)
Steven Birnbaum (D.C. United)
Harrison Shipp (Chicago Fire)
Defender of the Year Finalists
Bobby Boswell (D.C. United)
Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy)
Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders FC)
Coach of the Year Finalists
Gregg Berhalter (Columbus Crew SC)
Ben Olsen (D.C. United)
Sigi Schmid (Seattle Sounders FC)
Comeback Player of the Year Finalists
Charlie Davies (New England Revolution)
Stefan Frei (Seattle Sounders FC)
Rodney Wallace (Portland Timbers)
Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year Finalists
Steve Clark (Columbus Crew SC)
Bill Hamid (D.C. United)
Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Newcomer of the Year Finalists
Stefan Ishizaki (LA Galaxy)
Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution)
Pedro Morales (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year Finalists
Diego Chara (Portland Timbers)
AJ DeLaGarza (LA Galaxy)
Zach Loyd (FC Dallas)
Xbox Individual Fair Play Finalists*
Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers)
Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew SC)
Harrison Shipp (Chicago Fire)
*Selected by MLS based on objective criteria such as fouls committed, cards received, games & minutes played, as well as subjective evaluation of sportsmanlike behavior.
Xbox Team Fair Play Finalists*
LA Galaxy
Philadelphia Union
Real Salt Lake
*Selected by MLS based on objective criteria such as fewest fouls committed, cards received, and on subjective evaluation of sportsmanlike behavior.
Referee of the Year Finalists
Mark Geiger
Jair Marrufo
Alan Kelly
Assistant Referee of the Year Finalists
Peter Manikowski
Paul Scott
Adam Wienckowski
Awards Announcements Schedule:
Schedule subject to change
November 24: AT&T Rookie of the Year, Xbox Fair Play Individual and Team of the Year
November 25: MLS Defender of the Year, MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year, and Referee/Assistant Referee of the Year
December 2: MLS Coach of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year and MLS Best XI
December 3: Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Volkswagen MLS MVP
December 4: AT&T Goal of the Year, MLS Save of the Year
By: Editor
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