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MLS Awards Predictions

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We are 24 hours away from the start of the MLS season so it is time to have one last thought about how the 2008 season is going to play out.

Earlier today I asked people to give their pre-season rankings of the league’s 14 teams. Now it is time to consider what players will walk away with awards when the 2008 season is over.

Who do you think will be the league’s MVP? Golden Boot winner? Rookie of the Year? Defender of the Year? Goalkeeper of the Year? Coach of the Year?

My picks are after the jump. Check them out and share your own predictions below.

MLS MVP

Cuauhtemoc Blanco. The Chicago Fire playmaker will have a full season to show off his magical passing skills and has two forwards in Andy Herron and Tomasz Frankowski who can finish off his passes. Finalists– Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Juan Pablo Angel.

Rookie of the Year

Chance Myers Julius James. Apologies to KC fans but I had to go with my long-time pick for rookie of the year, Julius James, over Chance Myers, who I originally listed. I was under the impressing that James’ shoulder injury was more serious than it was. With him due back in a week, I think he’ll wind up winning this award. The kid is MLS ready and will help provide an instant upgrade to a Toronto defense that sorely needed it. I do like Chance Myers a lot, and think he could be the best long-term prospect of the bunch, but James is going to really impress some people. Finalists– Sean Franklin, Chance Myers

Defender of the Year

Michael Parkhurst. The Revs center back will win this award again, but should get stiff competition from a few quality candidates. Finalists– Jimmy Conrad, Gonzalo Martinez

Goalkeeper of the Year

Joe Cannon. Out of Los Angeles and back with Frank Yallop, Cannon will show fans the form that helped him win this award before (The award would be Brad Guzan’s if I thought he were staying the full year. Finalists– Bouna Coundoul, Kevin Hartman.

Coach of the Year

Curt Onalfo. I see big things for the Wizards in 2008 and Onalfo will receive his share of credit for making it happen. Finalists- Tom Soehn, Juan Carlos Osorio.

Now it’s your turn. Who do you see walking away with these awards? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. MVP – Gallardo

    Golden Boot – Angel

    Rookie of the Year – no idea

    Goalkeeper – Guzan

    Defender – One Gonzalo or the other

    Coach – Soehn

    Reply
  2. Even though its not PC to pick a DCU player, I think that the MVP will be either Emilio (w/20+ goals) or Gallardo.

    When the Fire regresses to the mean this year we will see Blanco and his gimpy knees disappear for long stretches of games.

    Defender of the year will be one of the Gonzalos.

    Goalkeeper of the year should be the best goalie in the league, the evil Matt Reis.

    Golden boot will be Emilio.

    Reply
  3. CACuzcatlan, I think GAA is never a useless indicator for judging goalkeeping. As far as I have seen him, he makes overly acrobatic saves mainly because he does not communicate/organize his defense very well and his positioning is dodgy. A fine shot-stopper in many regards but who isn’t these days. Hartman, Conway, Cannon, Onstad, Perkins, even Reis…are all superior, but will be on the lookout this year – would love to be proven wrong on this.

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  4. Come on people…Luciano Emilio!!! ..Especially now that Gallardo will be serving it up to him on a platter…REPEAT!

    Coach: Osorio. Chicago was no fluke, and a slight improvement in NYC and he will be looking like a genius.

    Reply
  5. Ives — You are WAY off on the pick of Jimmy Conrad as finalist for defender of the year. He’s still a good defender. But judging by his MLS performance of 2007 and his extended absence from the National team, it looks like he is a couple of years past his peak in a league where the quality continues to improve each year.

    Reply
  6. GOLDEN BOOT:

    Take into account his past success in LA and considering that Becks and Donovan will be feeding him with chances. I believe this will be a huge season for him.

    Sorry JPA. Red Bulls fan here but I have a strong feeling about this.

    Reply
  7. It’s not an East Coast bias thing, it’s just a “I don’t think Chivas USA will win any awards” thing.

    Posted by: Ives | March 28, 2008 at 04:58 PM

    We don’t need any individual silverware — the MLS Cup is big enough for the whole team.

    VAMOS LOS GOATS — esta en tu sangre!

    Reply
  8. I’m not offended, Ives. Hell, I respect everything you put on this blog.

    Then again, we are the best, unknown team in the MLS. Guzan will disappear but not my Goats.

    Reply
  9. IIRC Condoul was 3rd in GAA last year. He may make his saves look more acrobatic than necessary, but if you look at the stats and watch him play, you can’t say he’s a bad keeper.

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  10. EASTLA, I stated pretty clearly that Guzan will win goalkeeper of the year if he is around the whole season. I just happen to think he bolts after this year.

    As for other awards they could win, Preki won the coach of the year last year so he’s not winning again and I don’t see any other players challenging for MVP or ROY. I could see Claudio Suarez in the Defender of the Year mix but he just didn’t make the cut.

    It’s not an East Coast bias thing, it’s just a “I don’t think Chivas USA will win any awards” thing.

    Reply
  11. Bouna Coundul as your GK runner up??? Are you kidding??? This guy is a clown and has no business playing soccer professionally. Precisely the type of amateur laughing stock the league needs to rid itself of…

    Reply
  12. MVP: BECKHAM!

    Golden Boot: Juan Pablo Angel

    Rookie: Julius James (TFC)

    Defender: Julius James (Double award)

    Goalkeeper: Brad Guzan (Chivas)

    Coach. John Carver (TFC)

    Reply
  13. Comeback Player of the Year – Alecko Eskandarian (he’ll thrive in Chivas’ system)

    Disappointment of the Year – Carlos Ruiz (he’ll start strong, fade and then return without much punch)

    Reply
  14. he is still with CUSA, but they are going to want to drop him in the summer so that they can get some $$$ for him….

    id be surprised if they actually keep him all season…

    Reply
  15. MLS MVP

    Blanco.

    Rookie of the Year

    Chance Myers.

    Defender of the Year

    Jeff Parke (finally gets recognized)

    Goalkeeper of the Year

    Kevin Hartman

    Coach of the Year

    Preki (for gettin Chivas FAR into the playoffs and surviving despite the loss of Guzan during the summer )

    Reply
  16. j1- sorry to say but Rolfe is going to be starting out right mid :-/ it pains me to say that in this offseason we could muster up a right mid…. oh well Rolfe will still be one of the team’s leading scorers

    most likely it’ll be Barrett and Frankowski up top at the begining, with herron as a sub or replacement… assuming Nyarko is progressing with stellar speed, i wouldnt be surprised if he gets a couple of games early and then who knows from there….

    Reply
  17. MVP: John O’Brien

    Rookie of the year: Dominic Cervi

    Defender of the year: Kevin Goldwaithe

    Goalkeeper of the year: Zach Thornton

    coach of the year: Sigi Schmid

    Reply
  18. Player of the Year: Ramiro Corrales, Quakes.

    Defender of the Year: Ryan Cochrane, Quakes.

    Keeper of the Year: Cannon, Quakes.

    Coach of the Year: Yallop, Quakes.

    Whoever I predict, I’m guaranteed to make a fool of myself, so I might as well go for the gusto. Everyone else is just guessing anyway. It’s like putting your money on the Raiders to win the Super Bowl next year: you’re an idiot, unless you turn out to be right, in which case you are a genius. Go Quakes.

    Reply
  19. I think frankowski is not going to have an impact this year based on how he’s played recently. The starting forwards for chicago will proably be Rolfe and Nyarko since Barret has not looked good so far.

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  20. MVP – I agree Blanco will get it while leading Chi-town to the top of the East.

    Rookie – Ely Allen. Will get ample opportunity filling out the numbers alongside the big three in the Galaxy attack.

    Defender – the Gonzalos will be srtong but will cancel eachother out for awards, so I’ll go with Wilman Conde. When the games begin, he’ll turn it on for Chicago.

    Goalie – I agree it will be Cannon.

    Coach – Jason Kreis. For leading a team with 13 new guys (& no big names) into the playoffs.

    Reply
  21. I think you’ll be suprised on how many shutouts Joe Cannon will get with the ‘Quakes getting 0-0 draws all season long.

    Reply
  22. I think if beckham can stay healthy he could be a MVP candidate and considering the last two MVP winners were from D.C gallardo might be a possibility. I don’t know if lapira has officially signed with toronto but if he is motivated to play in the U.S he could be an important part of their offence.

    Reply
  23. While the San Jose defence is good for an exspansion team I’m not sure if it is good enough to help cannon win the award and all the finalists for keeper of the year had halfway descent defences

    Reply

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