Top Stories

My take on the MLS Awards

Jon_busch_isiphotoscom

                                                                          Photo by ISIphotos.com

With Major League Soccer announcing finalists for 2008 league awards on Thursday, I had the chance to take a closer look at the contests for the honors.

Here is my take on the top awards for ESPN.com. There were certainly plenty of snubs, and some questionable finalists. The question for you is this. Which were the most glaring of each?

Share your thoughts on the finalists, and the snubs, for the 2008 MLS awards in the comments section below.

Comments

  1. Some very good points, Ives, especially the Olave omission for Newcomer. And you’re right about Braun, although I would have him fourth behind the three chosen.

    But I must strongly disagree with the thought Yallop doesn’t belong. Expansion teams, in the modern MLS, cannot compete. San Jose did, and well, for a playoff berth. That they faded at the end doesn’t change that fact, it just means Yallop shouldn’t win the award (which he wasn’t going to win anyway, given that Schmid wins in a landslide). I would have replaced Kinnear — who does a fantastic job every year, true, but look at that roster — with Preki, who did a fabulous job in most trying circumstances.

    Reply
  2. Did Brian Ching have 15 goals? I thought mlsnet.com says 13, but they are sometimes wrong.

    Agree with Ives that Jamison Olave was more impressive than Claudio Lopez.

    Reply
  3. As someone else mentioned, Kreiss should be on this list. Yallop has no business being on this list, expansion team or not. Why should the bar be lower for him because he has an expansion team? He’s coached in this league for a number of years, so he shouldn’t be on the list and sure as hell not ahead of Hamlett and Kreiss.

    Reply
  4. so basically the general consensus is that this year’s rookie class stinks?I guess that they have to give it to someone, but somehow I don’t think it will lead to a spot in Glasgow this season.

    Which begs the question: was it a bad draft? Are teams drafting more for potential than immediate reward? Is this actually the worst draft class ever in terms of first year MLS production? Is the draft less important?

    Reply
  5. Justin Braun is one of the worst players in the league that gets serious time. It’s no wonder the guy didn’t even play college ball. Any contract he gets now should be a dream for him.

    Reply
  6. If you think Geoff Cameron is not deserving of Rookie of the Year you’ve not been paying attention.

    Seriously.

    No rookie has made a bigger contribution for any team in MLS. Especially when you factor in international appearances.

    Reply
  7. Austin, I think Geoff Cameron is a great rookie, but I also think people are giving him credit for his play in events like SuperLiga and Champions League and Champions Cup. The MLS rookie of the year award should be based on MLS play and the fact is Cameron hasn’t even cracked a thousand minutes played in MLS. Justin Braun was more deserving a finalist.

    Reply
  8. I don’t see why people view Yallop as a questionable choice for coach of the year. To question that choice means you expect him to pull nothing short of a “Chicago Fire” with an expansion team.

    EXPANSION TEAM.

    The people who view Yallop’s performance this year as a good one are simply noting the fact that he did more with his expansion team than any other RECENT expansion team. If you expect expansion teams to make the playoffs – go ahead and be disappointed. If you expected SJE to finish last — note that they did better with their first year than RSL or TFC.

    Reply
  9. Parkhurst was not that good this year. He was truly living off his past accomplishments. Also during the Olympics most people talked about Maurice Edu, a DM by trade with only a year and a half of pro experience, as the better center back of the two. There is a reason he is not in Europe even through he has an Irish passport or playing for the national team yet. He is just too small and not strong enough to play center back. Wonder why the Revs never look good playing a 4-4-2? Its due to the fact that Parkhurst can only play in a free role to hide his shortcomings and not as a marking back. Francis Doe, I repeat Francis Doe, look like a world beater against Parkhurst when they played a couple of weeks ago in DC.

    Reply
  10. Lemme see, a first year head coach who’s team finished 2nd in the Eastern Conference and he’s not a nominee for coach of the year? All I’m saying is that a coach with a team that finished bottom is nominated and a the same coach has been in the league for a few years.

    Is it me is there something wrong with this picture?

    Reply
  11. Matt Reis on the ballot for me. I’d say Jon Busch, Will Hesmer and Greg Sutton should be the three keepers on the nomination with Busch winning out. Even Joe Cannon should have a shout.

    Reply
  12. Kreis deserves a bit more of a mention for Coach of the Year.

    Maybe not even the best defender on his own team, but I think RBNY reject Danny O’Rourke has been a huge part of 1 of the best team in the league & 1 of its best Ds. Honorable mention?

    Louis Crayton was a nice newcomer for DCU, but a little late in the season to merit serious consideration. Again, honorable mention.

    Rookie of the Year candidates = 1st round pick (Franklin), 3rd round pick (Cameron), 1st rd supplemental pick (Dube). Snubee (Braun) discovered by Preki at a USASA tournament.

    Busch ran away w/a stat that I think goes undernoticed: save percentage. He saved a much higher percentage of shots on goal than anyone else (78.2% vs. 74.7% for #2, Joe Cannon), which translated directly in the GAA stat. It gives you an idea of good they were at stopping shots when opponents got a shot on frame past the rest of the defense. Reis wasn’t even in the top half of MLS starting GKs (#7 w/71.3%).

    Reply
  13. I didn’t think the picks were that questionable, or the snubs that bad. Does anyone really think Preki should get coach of the year? He pretty much has the same squad as last year, only the team is somewhat worse.

    Reply

Leave a Comment