Photo by ISIphotos.com
With the MLS regular season finally over, it is time to start thinking about the winners of the league’s season ending awards. SBI will be naming its award winners as we get closer to the MLS Cup final, but we will be asking you, the readers, for your take on all of the awards.
Let us start off with MLS Best XI, which honors the players at every position who have had the best 2008 season (remember, it’s not who the best players are, but what players had the best season). While there are some easy choices to make for MLS Best XI, such as Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Landon Donovan, there are also plenty of difficult choices to make.
To submit your informal SBI ballot, simply type the list of 11 players consisting of a goalkeeper, three defenders, five midfielders and two forwards like this:
Josh Wicks, Duilio Davino, Greg Vanney, Eduardo Dominguez, Laurent Robert, Alvaro Pires, Marcelo Gallardo, Juan Pietravallo, Jorge Rojas, Tomasz Frankowski and Jovan Kirovski
SBI will reveal its own MLS Best XI on Friday. For now, please submit your Best XI, along with your brief reasonings for your selections, in the comments section below.
i’d put cichero, khano smith, and xavier abel in the worst xi.
wicks certainly takes the cake at GK.
Ives, how did you guess my First XI? Your choices were spot on. Heres another take:
Busch
Wingert, Conde, Marshall
Huckerby, Joseph, Morales, Ralston, Schelotto
Cooper, Donovan
reis had a great first half of the year… until he got hurt.
busch, wynne, soumare, segares,
beckham, blanco, schelloto, van den bergh, de rosario
donovan, angel
Onstadt,
W. Barrett, C. Marshall, Padula
Kljestan, Blanco, Joseph, Clark, Beckham
Angel, Donovan
I really can’t believe anyone picked Matt Reis as GK for this year. He’s a great keeper, but did not have a good year. Any of Onstad, Busch, Cannon and Hesmer had much better years.
Too lazy, that is.
Too lay to put together a list. But as an RSL fan I’m pleased to see Morales on so many lists.
Kevin Hartman, Jimmy Conrad, Chad Marshall, Bakary Soumare, Javier Morales, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Steve Ralston, Cuahtemoc Blanco, Dave van den bergh, Landon Donovan, Kenny Cooper
Busch, Segares, Marshall, Barrett, GBS, Morales, Carroll, Ralston, Huckerbee, Cooper, Landycakes
Busch
Soumare, Marshal, Boswell
S. Joseph, Morales, Ralston, Blanco, Schelotto
Donovan, K. Cooper
jon busch
bakary soumare, jimmy conrad, michael parkhurst
shalrie joseph, cuahtemoc blanco, guillermo schelotto, yuri morales, landon donovan (foward/midfield flex, you get it)
kenny cooper, darren huckerby
————-cannon————-
franklin–soumare–parkhurst–segares
————-joseph————-
beckham—————–morales-
————schelotto————
———angel—-donovan——-
bench:
helsmer, cooper, wynne, conrad, blanco, de rosario
Busch
Conrad, Chad Marshal, Segares
VandenBergh, Schelotto, Morales, Ralston
Donovan, Angel, Cooper
Hartman
Marshall, Conrad, Barrett
Schelotto, Rogers, Joseph, Morales, Donovan
Cooper, Angel
bush,wynne, soumare, marhsal, schelleto, dero, joseph,thorrington,huckerby,donovan,angel
Jon Busch, Jimmy Conrad, Chad Marshall, Wade Barrett, Brad Davis, Javier Morales, Steve Ralston, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Landon Donovan, Juan Pablo Angel
Busch, Soumare, Conrad, Hejduk
Huckerby, Joseph, Blanco, Beckham, Schelotto
Donovan, Cooper
Joe Cannon, Bakary Soumare, Chad Marshall, Sean Franklin, Shalrie Joseph, Darren Huckerby, Robbie Rogers, Javier Morales, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Kenny Cooper and Landon Donovan
Busch (best in GA stat)
Heduk (still good)
Marshall (can head the ball on corners)
Soumare (Chi much better w/ him in there)
Bornstein (tough call vs Segares)
Ramiro Corales ( SJ couldn’t win w/o him)
Schelotto (better than Blanco this year)
Darren Huckerby (exciting)
Ronnie O’Brien (played better than Becks)
Cooper (even more goals if used his noggin)
Donovan ( Golden Boot Award)
Subs: Onstad, Conrad, DeRosario, Angel, and Shea Salinas (best in MLS at attacking w/ ball since Clint Dempsey)
Ives,
Please submit your example above as my official Best 11 nomination.
Regards,
Curtis
————-Busch————-
wynee–conrad–parkhurst–conde
————Shalrie————
Beckham—-De-Ro–GBS—-Donovan
————-Cooper————-
Cannon
Wynne, Conrad, Soumare
Joseph, Beckham
Huckerby, Javier Morales, Schelotto
Donovan, Cooper
Bench: Conde, Blanco, Van DeBurgh, Marshall, De Rosario, Rogers
John Busch,
Chad Marshall, Bobby Boswell, Jimmy Conrad, Segares
D. Beckham, S. Joseph, G.B. Schelotto, Blanco
Landon Donovan, Kenny Cooper
Joe Cannon, Bakary Soumare, Chad Marshall, Jimmy Conrad, Dwayne De Rosario, Steve Ralston, Robbie Rogers, Javier Morales, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Kenny Cooper and Landon Donovan
I think honourable mentions should go to Edson Buddle and Conor Casey for shining in very poor sides. Also to Gino Padula and Darren Huckerby for coming in during the second half of the season and being very solid performers.
——–busch——–
wynne-Soumare-Segares
—-Pause–Carrol—-
Ralston–GBS–Rogers
—Cooper—Donovan–
cannon, soumare, marshall,conrad, Klejstan, Huckerby, schelotto, blanco, donovan(counting him as a midfielder),Cooper,Angel
i cant stress Angel, Cooper, and Donovan enough…they were one man armies for their teams.
Matt Reis
Chad Marshal, Marvell Wynne, Bakary Soumare
Robbie Rogers, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Darren Huckerby, Javier Morales, David Beckham
Landon Donovan, Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Bench: Jimmy Conrad, Juan Pablo Angel, Shalarie Joseph, Dwayne De Rosario, Brian Carroll, Kenny Cooper, Wilman Conde, John Busch
I had the hardest time with defensive midfielders, not a good year for them. I thought Joseph, Rico Clark, and Beckerman all had sub-par years. What a year for MLS forwards though, some great years didn’t make the bench. I went with Reis at keeper because I saw more games that he completely dominated than anyone else.
Cannon
Marshall, Conde, Segares
Schelotto, Klejstan, Joseph, VanDenBergh, Morales
Angel, Donovan
Will Hesmer, Jimmy Conrad, Chad Marshall, Gonzalo Segares, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Javier Morales, Steve Ralston, Sacha Kljestan, Nick Labrocca, Kenny Cooper, Landon Donovan
Soumare, Morales, and Rogers would be my subs (for the lineup above)
Hesmer
Wynne,Conrad,Conde
Klejstan,Blanco,Schelotto,Morales,Ralston
Cooper,Donovan
will hesmer, bakary soumare, chad marshall, marvell wynne, shalrie joseph, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Dwayne DeRosario, Javier Morales, Landon Dononvan, Robbie Rogers, Kenny Cooper
Joe Cannon
Gonzalo Segares, Wade Barrett, Marvell Wynne
GBS, Shalrie Joseph, D. Huckerby, Steve Ralston, DVB,
Lando, JPAngel
Cannon
Conrad
Marshall
Segares
Blanco
Morales
Schelotto
Rolfe
Donovan
Huckerby (even with limited games)
Cooper
Will Hesmer, Jimmy Conrad, Chad Marshall, Sean Franklin, Javier Morales, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, David Beckham, Brandon McDonald, Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle
My Galaxy need to win something this year, a few spots in the SBI Best XI would be a small consolation…
Jon Busch, Frankie Hedjuk, Chad Marshall, Bobby Boswell, Gonzalo Segares, Steve Ralston, Javier Morales, GBS, Robbie Rogers, Landon Donovan, and Juan Pablo Angel
Joe Canon: best goalie in the league, was in the top 5 of the stats, with an expansion side defense in front of him
Marvell Wynne: most improved and dangerous right back
Jimmy Conrad: scoring goals and leading KC into playoffs
Bakary Soumare: solid and a key to CHI success
Conde: the guy can play
Cuauhtemoc: brought the offensive spark to go along with CHI defensive strength. 7 goals, 11 assists
Schelotto: peter pan, was the leader of the lost boys and took them top of the table. 7 goals, 19 ASSISTS!!!
Morales: RSL is in the playoffs and it is thanks to this guy. 6 goals, 15 ASSISTS.
Donovan: 20 goals 9 assists, nuff said
Cooper:18 goals
Brian Ching: 13 goals, 5 assists, best season of his career.
Busch, Soumare, Boswell, Marshall, Carroll, Barros Schelotto, Ralston, Klejstan, Joseph, Donovan, Cooper
Jon Busch, Chad Marshall, Wade Barrett, Gonzalo Segares, Shalrie Jospeh, Robbie Rogers, Javier Morales, Darren Huckerby, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Landon Donovan, Kenny Cooper
Joe Cannon, Sharie Joseph, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Juan Pablo Angel, Landon Donovan, Michael Parkhurst, Jimmy Conrad, David Beckham, Daron Huckerbey, Frankie Hejduk. (if not for the suspension Jeff Park would make this list)
These guys have preformed well this year. And Mike, anyone could beat LA. my pub team could beat LA.
Jon Busch
Michael Parkhurst
Jimmy Conrad
Frankie Hedjuk
Shalrie Joseph
Cuahtemoc Blanco
Javier Morales
Guillermo Schelotto
Landon Donovan
Juan Pablo Angel
Kenny Cooper
I haven’t seen enough to know who really excelled defensively, so I went with the usual suspects. That said, I’ve seen enough to take everyone in the midfield and up front ahead of this Beckham guy I keep hearing about. I like Landon in the midfield role, and Angel was great when he played, so Landon wins the spot over Beckham.
Jon Busch, Michael Parkhurst, Jimmy Conrad, Brian Caroll, Shalrie Joseph, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Steve Ralston, David Beckham, Jaime Moreno, Landon Donovan, Kenny Cooper.
That team can beat any team in MLS and in the SuperLiga or CONCACAF CL
I think Robert is a little bit of a reach but the rest of Ives’ picks I’m basically ok with
Reis
Barrett, Soumare, Conrad
Thorrington, GBS, Joseph, Becks, Klejstan
Donovan, Cooper
I’m sure people will have criticism for me choosing Thorrington but I’ve watched all the Fire games this year and I can’t help but think he’s one of the big reasons we got into the playoffs.
Busch, Conrad, Marshall, Soumare, Morales, Schelotto, DeRosario, Ralston, Joseph, Donovan, Cooper
John Busch, Chad Marshall, Bobby Boswell, Jimmy Conrad, Ricardo Clark, Kyle Beckerman, Brad Davis, G.B. Schelotto, Landon Donovan, Brian Ching and J.P. Angel
Bench: Joe Cannon, Bakary Soumare, Brian Carroll, Steve Ralston, Kenny Cooper
I’m a Dynamo homer — what can I say. But if I had to win a game I’d want Ching and Angel up top. They’re clutch players who work well with their teammates. Busch is playing like his old self.
Josh Wicks, Duilio Davino, Greg Vanney, Eduardo Dominguez, Laurent Robert, Alvaro Pires, Marcelo Gallardo, Juan Pietravallo, Jorge Rojas, Tomasz Frankowski and Jovan Kirovski
Could this team beat LA? Probably
Jon Busch, Wade Barrett, Jimmy Conrad, Chad Marshall, Brian Carroll, Robbie Rogers, Shalrie Joseph, Dwayne De Rosario, David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Kenny Cooper
I think the best XI listed is pretty much unbeatable as is.