Photos by ISIphotos.com
There is still a month to go in the MLS regular season but with two clear front-runners for the MVP award we can start to talking about who might win the award.
Columbus Crew star Guillermo Barros Schelotto looked to have pulled away in the MVP race, but Landon Donovan’s hat-trick against D.C. United has pushed his MVP campaign back to the forefront.
- Guillermo Barros Schelotto: six goals, 18 assists in 23 games
- Landon Donovan: 19 goals, eight assists in 20 games
If you were taking just stats into account, Donovan would have the edge, but the stat that weighs in Schelotto’s favor is the win-loss record of their teams. Columbus boasts the best record in MLS (14-6-5) while Donovan’s Galaxy has the second-worst record in the league (7-10-8).
Obviously things can change in the next month, but with these two leading the pack, I think it’s time to get a sense of who fans think deserves the award.
Share your thoughts on the MLS MVP race below.
“Having to make the playoffs to win MVP is complete bull. Donovan has been the better player. He has had the better year. The best player is the most valuable to his team.”
You would think that in order to be valuable to his team, his team would have to be less shite than they are. That team has Donovan, Becks, Buddle, Gordon, and a sad combination of washed up vets and green nooBs. Without Donovan they would still be where they are, in the basement of the West.
Schelotto is No. 1.
No. 2 comes down to Donovan, Huckerby and Joseph.
Morales at RSL is No. 5.
All five should be in the conversation.
shalriejoseph.com
The one thing I think people are missing from this is the teaching factor. Not only has GBS been great for Columbus, not only has the team rallied around him, but he has taught the young midfielders and other forwards how to be good if not great players. Look at the development of some players like Jason Garey and even to a point Robbie Rogers (when playing in the Crew system). The players have not only rallied around him, but are playing attacking soccer the likes of a lot of teams in this league have not seen and the likes Columbus has not seen. The runs that are being made today versus the runs that were made before/shortly after he arrived are a world of difference. He is also teaching players how to better align themselves for defensive positions in the midfield and when to step up. It has been wonderful to see him work with the young players the way he has.
Most valuable is Shalrie Joseph. He is the cog that makes everthing go for the Revolution. Schellotto is a fantastic player and has taken over games for Columbus but isn’t what drives that team. Can’t believe Donovan is even in this discussion.
The fact that LA is an inferior team should increase Donovan’s chances. Having that kind of season on a mediocre (at best) team says alot.
Landycakes has had a good year, but like Ives mentioned, I think stats should not be the only thing considered. Even with Landycakes’ great stats, he is playing for one of the worst teams in the league, whereas GBS is helping lead his team to the playoffs and potentially to the MLS Cup. Besides, GBS’ stats are pretty good as well. MVP honors would have to go to GBS all the way.
Shalrie Joseph
as much as I love guille….
whoever fired Lalas
is definitely
MVP for 2008
si señor !!
No love for Jon Busch? He gets my vote.
Tie-breaker: One’s team is doing so much better than the other’s team.
I say Landon, not because he is better, but because even without Schelotto, Columbus is a formidable team. Without Landon…well you saw LA during the international breaks. So, I think Landon is the player who is MOST VALUABLE to his team.
PS…until NE imploded MAtt Reis was a lock, since then he’s gone backwards with his team and these two guys have really stood out. At this point, no one on the Revs deserves it unless they can win the Cup this year. Shalrie is an excellent player, for sure, but Reis, Ralston and Twellman all shoulder a significant amount of the lifting on that team.
el guille gets my vote cause its only his 2nd year in MLS and came into Columbus when it was a mediocre (to put it nicely) just like the LA Gal…
they. Had an overweight coach in Sigi Schmid and were playing ugly. Two unacceptable things in world soccer. Landon is an outstanding player with many years ahead and wish he would stop being such a wussy and less afraid of life and failure. He should know he is one of the best in the world and play like that ALWAYS!!
el guille is a legend and has won just about everything at club level
and to still be motivated to keep on doing the same in a completely foreign environment to him should give him the MVP no questions asked
Sorry. jaime Moreno gets my vote. He’s the ONLY reason DC United are still currently in the playoff scene. Without him, we’d be last in the league. I’m not kidding.
I’m a Galaxy fan, but GBS raises the playing level of his teammates MUCH more than Dovovan. If anything, I’d consider Shalrie Joseph over Donovan. Joseph should have at least one MVP award in his trophy case, but attacking flair trumps defense in terms of awards. GBS takes the gold though…you could see it last year when he arrive in Columbus that he was playing for the team colors, and his teammates have stepped it up to match his dedication on the field. There is no away you cannot award that.
Schellotto, as his quality is makes Columbus winners. Donovan’s quality (despite being a twit) makes LA … still losers.
Now, if the award was the Golden Boot, it would be Donovan as he has the most goals …
Shalrie Joseph should get it every year that the Revs play well, he is that good. Realistically, I know that he’ll never win it because defensive-midfield is not a glamour position. It will always be an attacking player.
If the Revs didn’t have their recent dip and he didn’t have his injury issues, I’d think that Steve Ralston would get serious consideration.
Schelotto gets my vote here. Donovan has better numbers has been the best attacking player in the league, but I am in the camp that the MVP winner needs to be on a winning team.
Think about how bad the Galaxy would be without LD. Take away GBS and the Crew still are a talented team.
Neo: Actually, no, every feature doesn’t have him number one. http://www.mlsnet.com just rated him third. In that rating, GBS was 1, Donovan was 2.
Joseph was an outsider contender before the Rev’s recent poor play. He really shouldn’t be docked for the recent poor form, because its common knowledge that the Revs have had a string of injuries. Joseph is a great player, and is worthy of the award, but holding midfielders will not receive MVP awards very often in any league. That’s not necessarily fair, but it is true. Anyone who has seen Joseph play knows he is a great player, and I wish he had gotten a chance to play in Europe. Rangers would have loved him. We are lucky in the MLS to still have him for sure.
Shalrie Joseph gets my vote.
BC6 – it’s not like Schelotto tracks back, and if we’re looking for negatives in his play too = what about some shameful diving antics (especially against TFC).
MVP twists the meaning of the award – it should be best player/best season. MVP should be something else entirely, perhaps saved for the playoffs (like in NHL).
Shalrie Joseph–ever feature and rating this year by every analyst has him is #1 and he isn’t even an option??????
Voted Schelotto because he does rally the team. That, and Donovan is a bitch. I don’t care how many goals or assists he has had he’s a punk when he scores and his team sucks. If he was an MVP he would help his team learn to play defense and stop giving away so many goals.
Yea the Galaxy has a CHANCE be it a small one of making the play offs, but the fact that it would at best be the 8th spot says it all. They aren’t a good team, they just have some exceptional players on the team. I vote for Donovan to leave this league and never come back. How about them apples?
I agree with most posters. GBS would get my vote, but if LA can get into the playoffs I’d have to at least consider Donovan who has had a monster year on a bad team.
I’d probably vote GBS. If Donovan led the Galaxy to the play-offs though, I’d go with Donovan.
In two games without GBS, Columbus is 2-0.
In five games without Donovan, LA is 2-2-1.
This doesn’t heavily favor either candidate really, but I thought it was interesting. It shocked me to see that the winning percentage for both teams is actually better whenever their star is gone. Granted, this is a small sample size, and in Donovan’s case, every team was missing good players due to international call ups. Still weird, but probably means nothing.
With GBS, I feel like the whole team rallies around him. With Donovan, I feel like the whole team thinks “get him the ball,” which isn’t exactly the most positive reinforcement.
And I’m a Gals season ticket holder.
Even though I voted for GBS, I’d be interested to see how each team performs without their star player…I’ve never been a fan of the “player on the better team” argument…if put Landon on the Crew in plays of GBS, would they have the second worst record in the MLS? If you put GBS on the Galaxy in place of Landon, would they rise to the top of the league? The answer to both questions is “no.” You’re comparing apples and oranges…there’s no doubt in my mind that GBS makes the Crew a great team, but I’m also quite sure the Galaxy would be significantly worse without Donovan and his 19 goals…
Having to make the playoffs to win MVP is complete bull. Donovan has been the better player. He has had the better year. The best player is the most valuable to his team.
Right now, Schelotto. Donovan has been playing lights out this year which is nice to see and he is by far the better player but I’m with almost everyone here, Schelotto is just more valuable. However, if Donovan can push the Galaxy to string together some wins and enter the playoffs, I might have to change my vote.
Has to be Schelotto. Donovan’s season has been awesome. Donovan might be the “best” player but Schelotto is the most valuable. Just look at the Crew and where they stand right now.
Gotta go with GBS, if the Galaxy were challenging for the Supporter’s Shield it would be Donovan’s easy.
Gotta be Schelotto. He has a cool name.
even as an LA fan i would pick GBS, LD is too inconsistent and will disappear many time from the game
I don’t know if Lando deserves it even if they *do* get a playoff spot…
8th seed in the playoffs or Supporter’s Shield, which means more to you guys?
This is still GBS in a walk, but MLS will steer it toward their golden boy so that the LAGs don’t look too stupid, and so the fact that GBS wasn’t on the All-Star team doesn’t come back to haunt them.
Crew w/o GBS = middle-of-the-pack team, fringes of playoff hunt
Crew w/ GBS = best team in league
LAG w/o Lando = USL1… maybe
LAG w/ Lando = outside looking in on playoffs
Seems like no contest to me. GBS has done more for his team…
Just like Ryan said, if Landon leads the Galaxy to the playoffs, then he definitely gets the nod. Until then, Schelotto is my man. The MVP is meant for the player with the most positive impact on their team’s success. Even as the best offensive player in the league this season, by my definition Landon cannot be MVP unless the Galaxy are successful. And to me, this year, success for the Galaxy means grabbing a playoff spot over all the other teams pushing for it right now.
Landon has had the better year but GBS is more valuable.
Donovan has more goals than GBS has assists…(and that incldues 2nd assists). If you put GSB on LA it would be clear that this is Donovan’s award.
The guy is on a pace for almoost a goal a game…GBS manages about 3 assists every 4 games. I get that GBS’s team is better, but that’s hardly Donovan’s fault. Can you imagine how bad they’d be without him? (or how much better CBS would be with him over Moreno?!)
Marco Velez!!!
They are both excellent players and any team in the MLS would be lucky to have either one of them. However, Schelotto has had stability in the coaching and management as where Donovan’s galaxy has been a mess and he has still been a monster in the stats department. Another reason Donovan should win is because he put up those number despite international duty.
If the Galaxy make the playoffs Landon gets my vote, but I can’t give it to a guy who’s team didn’t make the playoffs so that’s my determining factor. I think Landon has had the better year and if his team makes the playoffs you have to give him the award.
If the Galaxy make the playoffs Landon gets my vote, but I can’t give it to a guy who’s team didn’t make the playoffs so that’s my determining factor. I think Landon has had the better year and if his team makes the playoffs you have to give him the award.
Schelotto in a walk. As great a season as Donovan is having, he has not elevated the play of his team the way Schelotto has. Team success has to be considered when voting for this award. The Galaxy would still miss the playoffs without Donovan, without Schelotto the Crew would be decent, but not the best team in MLS.