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MLS announces 2010 Awards finalists

BuddleFerreira

By TRAVIS CLARK

On the eve of the beginning of the 2010 MLS Playoffs, the finalists of the regular season awards were announced.

A strong week for Chris Wondolowski continued, as the San Jose Earthquakes striker was one of three finalists for the MVP. He'll have to best FC Dallas playmaker David Ferreira and Los Angeles striker Edson Buddle for the award.

Andy Najar, Tim Ream and Danny Mwanga were named the three finalists for the Rookie of the Year, while playoff foes Jason Kreis and Schellas Hyndman will contest the Coach of the Year award along with Red Bulls coach Hans Backe.

The awards will be handed out starting November 3, running all the way up to the week before MLS Cup in Toronto.

Here's a complete look at the finalists:

Goalkeeper of the Year:

Kevin Hartman (FC Dallas)
Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Donovan Ricketts (Los Angeles Galaxy)

Fair Play:

CJ Brown (Chicago Fire)
Sebastian Le Toux (Philadelphia Union)
Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Year:

Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo)
Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards)
Seth Stammler (New York Red Bulls)

Referee of the Year:

Mark Geiger
Kevin Stott
Baldomero Toledo

Comeback Player of the Year:

Brek Shea (FC Dallas)
Bobby Convey (San Jose Earthquakes)
Chris Albright (New York Red Bulls)

Defender of the Year:

Jamison Olave (Real Salt Lake)
Nat Borchers (Real Salt Lake)
Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy)

Rookie of the Year:

Andy Najar (D.C. United)
Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls)
Danny Mwanga (Philadelphia Union)

Coach of the Year:

Hans Backe (New York Red Bulls)
Schellas Hyndman (FC Dallas)
Jason Kreis (Real Salt Lake)

Newcomer of the Year:

Joel Lindpere (New York Red Bulls)
Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls)
Alvaro Saborio (Real Salt Lake)

MVP:

Edson Buddle (Los Angeles Galaxy)
David Ferreira (FC Dallas)
Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

Who do you think was snubbed? Who do you want to see win?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I think you could probably come up with at least 2 dozen players that were new to the league that are more deserving of Henry for that award.

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  2. Arrogance? Stating facts based on league statistics is hardly arrogant, and that goes for both RSL’s defense this year and Seattle’s performance over the second half of the season and attendance.

    And as an RSL fan I don’t think they are the best thing since sliced bread for winning the cup last year, I think they are the best thing since sliced bread for allowing the fewest goals in a season in league history while also leading the league in goals scored.

    Complaining about fans of other teams being proud of their team’s accomplishments reeks of bitter envy.

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  3. Obviously you have not watched the Union. Le Toux plays the whole field every game. He was making up for poor MF play all season. Even with all that he is still top 5 in both goals and assists.
    You really should not comment about things you don’t understand. Just say what’s true i.e. that you really are not that familiar with Le Toux’s play this year

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  4. Yes, and the Henry inclusion? Mind-boggling at best. Disgraceful at worst.

    Big signing? Yes! Important for the league? Yes! But, he’s played such few games, scored few goals (though he’s opened up space for others to score) and he’s been injured a lot.

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  5. Tim Ream over Najar. Easily. Ream played every minute of every game this year and playing like a player with five more years experience than he has on a team that went from worst to first in the East.

    Glad to see Lindpere. Definitely a toss up between Saborio and Lindpere, but Lindpere gets it because he really was THE key element in the Red Bulls this year. Plus, Real Salt Lake without Saborio is still an excellent club and it’s hard to argue that he has had more impact on Real Salt Lake than Joel Lindpere has had on New York.

    Convey, yes.
    Ferreira, yes.

    Coach? I don’t know. Maybe has to go to Kreis because when they won MLS Cup last year, most people thought they didn’t deserve it. Not only did he prove us all wrong, he has proved that Real has an excellent team and organization and is committed to winning in international tournaments as well.

    Backe is awesome, but he is also a product of the wizardry of Erik Soler. They have been a team and while I do think what they’ve done is equally as impressive, I think Kreis could arguably deserve it more. They don’t have the budget that Red Bull has.

    That’s not a knock against Red Bull. They’ve created something truly special in MLS and deserve all the credit in the world.

    Reply
  6. I don’t think Saborio can be considered a lock. Real Salt Lake was already a great team.

    For anybody that followed the Red Bulls this year, it is impossible to ignore how Lindpere was the key field player element that turned around the team. Without Lindpere, the Red Bulls would have been among the worst again.

    But, Real Salt Lake would have still been excellent without Saborio.

    Reply
  7. No, Donovan isn’t more desrving of MVP then Ferreira. Ferreira is more important to his team whereas Donovan was very important but LA could depend on Buddle early in the season and some quality defensive play throughout. To be honest, Juninho’s play is probably more crucial to LA. When Juninho is having a good game everthing is clicking for LA, when he’s not, they’re struggling.

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  8. Danny Califf is proof that just because you played in Europe (especially Scandinavia) doesn’t mean you should be allowed anywhere near the USMNT camps. Remember that the next time a chorus of “Cap Joe Schmo of Viking FC” comes round!

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  9. I heard they were going to give away t-shirts to all the Sounders fans in recognition of their awesome home crowd atmosphere.

    Unfortunately no shirt supplier could come up with 32,000 size XXXL shirts.

    Reply
  10. Saborio was the hands down best newcommer this year.

    Le Tuex or Wondo was the hands down comeback player of the year.

    What did Brek Shea come back from and who is going to vote for him following his “I’m gonna get that ref” incident after the easiest to call red card of the season?

    Who nominates these people? John Harkes?

    Reply
  11. well its called playing a system and even though le toux is listed as a midfielder he is a forward/winger in nowak’s system. he started a lot of games up top and those he did not he was either an attacking center midfielder or a winger with no defensive responsibility. surely you would know this had you actually watched the union play this year.

    le toux not being nominated for MVP confirms MLS is a joke of a league. your reward for leading the league in goals+assists? the fair play award. the great thing is that le toux probably doesn’t give two cares and is most likely either training or out signing autographs this very moment. class player, deserves more credit from this league.

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  12. How can you nominate a 20 year old kid for comeback player of the year? They might as well call it the bobby convey award this year.

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  13. Holy Toledo for best ref? He’s not even better than Kevin Stott, who is still looking for a new seeing eye dog. this is a joke.

    Reply
  14. I would also like to add, that while I don’t speak for the majority of the RSL fanbase, I can speak on behalf of several RSL fans that I know when I say that we aren’t the way we are because of the trophy, we are the way we are because after 5 years of piss poor quality, hopelessly watching our team struggle game in and game out, we finally have something to brag about, after all these years we finally have a team to be proud of. We aren’t “egotistical” because we are the champions we are egotistical because this is the first quality season for RSL, and it happens to be an extremely good, record breaking season. I don’t know where you are from, but a successful sports team is a rarity in Utah so excuse us for making the most of what little we are rarely offered. We act this way out of excitement, and joy just how Seattle does when talking attendence figures, or US Open Cup. There is nothing wrong with being proud of what you have, especially when you can’t help but look into the ugly rear view mirror of what you had. Now I ask that you would kindly give us this moment before our team sinks back into the pool of small market mediocrity.

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  15. So let me see if I get what you are saying. I bring up a valid point to a Galaxy fan who has his own team winning Keeper of the Year and Defender of the Year over a Keeper and Defenders who broke the record for what is probably the most significant stat for players who play in defensive positions. Excuse me for sounding egotistical by bringing up facts.

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  16. I agree. Defense or not, Le Toux has been nothing less than singular in the league as an offensive superpower. And his goals and assists only tell half the story, since the man stretched defenses like an armored blitz. It’s a freaking embarrassment that he’s not even mentioned.

    As for defense – Le Toux could have cloned himself and it wouldn’t have done a damned thing for that shameful tollbooth we called a defense. How Danny Califf is still Captain is a minor miracle.

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  17. I’m starting to get sick of all the RSL arrogance on this website. You are becoming just as bad as Seattle. No other team has fans that are so egotistical. You won the trophy by 1 missed penalty kick, and all of a sudden you are the best thing since sliced bread. Can’t wait until RSL gets knocked out in round 1.

    (Brennan, this is directed at fans of RSL (like you), not you specifically.)

    Reply
  18. And Homer of the Year goes to…

    Seriously man, RSL broke the record of fewest goals allowed in league history and you don’t think they are deserving of either keeper or defender of the year? I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see RSL win both categories.

    Reply

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