By Brooke Tunstall - CHARLOTTE, NC (Jul 29, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- With the Major League Soccer All-Star Game upon us tonight, it seems like an appropriate time to look at the front runners for the league’s various individual awards and who would win them if the league gave them out at the All-Star break.
Some years the choices for these awards are so obvious that writing a story like this almost seems superfluous. But this year, there are lots of candidates for most awards yet few obvious choices, thus making picking one winner very difficult.
Still, here’s one writer's attempt at doing just that…
The case: This is one of the deepest and most-talented rookie classes in league history so picking one here is no easy task. Rodney Wallace has been a solid two-way player on the left flank for DC United while teammate Chris Pontius has shown nice skill and contributed 4 goals and 2 assists. Stefan Frei won the starting job in Toronto’s net in the preseason and has kept it all year, at times looking outstanding (and at times looking like a rookie) while teammate Sam Cronin played well enough to earn a spot on the US Gold Cup roster, the only rookie to do so. Matt Besler has quietly but solidly manned left back for Kansas City. When healthy, Kevin Alston has looked strong at RB for New England while unheralded Darrius Barnes (the 40th overall selection) has started every game at centerback for the Revs. Similarly, Omar Gonzalez has started every game for Los Angeles while A.J. DeLaGarza has shown potential at both wide defender spots. Finally, top pick Steve Zakuani has shown a nice mix of pace and skill at left mid for Seattle to the tune of 2 goals and 3 assists.
Verdict: With such a deep class, this is a tough, tough call. A strong case can be made for several of the rookies and in terms of caliber of play, the top ones have been very similar, thus it comes down to which one has had the greatest impact on their team and made it better. Considering that last year the Galaxy’s defense was a laughingstock and this year it is one of the best in MLS – and more than a goal a game better than 2008 – and because he’s been the lone constant on that defense, the not here goes to Gonzalez.
TOP NEWCOMER
The case: As with many things in MLS this year, this is all about Seattle. The frontrunners include the high-profile Freddie Ljungberg, who has provided veteran leadership to help an expansion side not look like one, Freddy Montero, whose 9 goals and 6 assists have him among the league leaders in scoring, and Osvaldo Alsonso, the Cuban defector who has done a lot of the grunt work that has allowed the Sounders to get off to a good start. In the non-Seattle division, Gregg Berhalter has provided stability for the Galaxy’s defense in his first MLS season and Eduardo Lillingston has scored some nice goals for Chivas USA. Eric Brunner has quietly been very solid for Columbus in his first MLS season.
Verdict: As nice as it would be to strike a blow for the piano carriers around the world and give the nod to Alonso, it’s hard to imagine the Sounders doing so well without Montero’s offense so he’s the pick.
GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
The case: The easy pick is to look at the goalkeepers with the lowest goals-against-average and throw the award their way. But Pat Onstad (0.74) and Kasey Keller (0.80) have played behind stellar team defense and face fewer shots than most of their fellow keepers. But the Galaxy’s Donovan Ricketts and New England’s Matt Reis have faced far more shots and played behind a less-accomplished defense and are still posting low numbers.
Verdict: As valuable as Ricketts has been to LA’s resurgence, the nod here goes to Reis, who is making nearly six saves a game and leads MLS is save percentage while posting a 1.00 GAA, good for fourth in league and the best of his long career, all despite playing behind a makeshift and often inexperienced defense. Further, in the games he hasn’t played, New England is allowing twice as many goals.
DEFENDER OF THE YEAR
The case: Many years all-star teams are head-scratching for defenders, overlooking players who have helped their teams become among the league’s stingiest defenses. But this year’s all-star starters, Geoff Cameron of Houston, Chad Marshall of Columbus and the Fire’s Wilman Conde, have had very strong years, as has Seattle’s Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Houston’s Bobby Boswell and Chivas USA’s Carey Talley.
Verdict: Houston has the lowest GAA in the league, by far, and is on pace to be the stingiest defense in league history. Cameron, has been judged by both his peers and the fans to be the top defender on that team so far and as such he’s worthy of the top defender honors, even though injuries and national team call-ups have seen him spend the past couple of games in midfield.
COMEBACK
The case: The beauty of this award is that there are so many things from a player can come back – injury, time away from the game, poor lifestyle choices and inactivity, usually resulting in poor form. The frontrunners this year, Chivas USA’s Zach Thornton and Chicago’s Tim Ward, have both seen plenty of time on bench the past couple of years. Thornton played only 8 games last year and one in 2007 while Ward didn’t play at all for the Rapids a year ago and only six games for the Crew the year before that.
That Thornton will be dressed in uniform for the all-star game tomorrow speaks of his return to form, as does his 0.88 GAA and seven shutouts. Ward, who came to the Fire’s preseason camp as an unsigned free agent, has started every game at either left or right back and added two assists.
Verdict: It’s hard to imagine Chivas USA being as high in the standings as they are without Thornton’s strong play so he gets the nod.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
The case: Last year Guillermo Barros Schelotto was the obvious choice because of his league-leading assist total and the Crew having the best record in MLS. This year, things are more muddled but Barros Schelotto still is in the running, this time because he’s scoring the goals (a league-best 10) instead of creating them (though he still has three assists). The other obvious frontrunner is the Galaxy’s Landon Donovan, last year’s MLS scoring champion, who carried LA’s offense early in the season and was a huge reason they were able to turn would-be losses into momentum-saving ties. Despite missing a month with the US National Team, Donovan (8 goals and 5 assists) has still scored or assists in all but 10 of LA’s goals this year.
Verdict: Donovan is on the best form of his career but LA still managed to win some games when he was away so the nod, barely, here goes to Schelotto for carrying the Crew’s offense before other teammates finally stepped up and because the Crew are on top of the East.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Sigi Schmid has Seattle looking nothing like an expansion team. Denis Hamlett got the Fire off to a great start (and has them in the final of the SuerLiga) and as he always does, Dominic Kinnear has Houston playing some of the best soccer in MLS while Bruce Arena took what was a circus in LA and turned the Galaxy into a deep and competitive side.
Verdict: While Schmid started from scratch, Arena had to start at a deficit because of how bad the Galaxy were last season. He raised eyebrows when he repeatedly brought in aging veterans but those moves, along with drafting Gonzalez and DeLaGarza, have proven to be strong additions and he has blended them well and the Galaxy are now a legit contender and as mentioned, the Galaxy’s defense is more than a goal per game better than last season. That he has done this while having his roster moves limited by David Beckham’s salary along with his mid-season arrival, and Arena gets the nod.
Veteran sportswriter Brooke Tunstall is a freelance writer based in Charlotte, NC. He can be reached at BrookeTunstall@aim.com
