Whether you're talking heroics like those shown by Fredy Montero and Osvaldo Alonso in Tuesday's U.S. Open Cup, or CONCACAF Champions League performances by the likes of David Beckham and Landon Donovan, some of the best players in MLS are performing well on multiple fronts, and not just in MLS matches.
While that is the case, MLS has long made it a policy to only include accomplishments in MLS play when considering candidates for awards. Be they Player of the Week awards or even year-long honors like MLS MVP. Our simple question to SBI readers is this. Do you agree with that policy?
The argument against including competitions like the CONCACAF Champions League is that not every team gets to play in the event so it's an unfair advantage to players who compete in them. The other argument is that the added wear-and-tear of competing on multiple fronts is a burden that should be acknowledged when considering candidates for awards.
What do you think? Should MLS regular season games be the only games that factor into determining winners of MLS awards and honors?
Cast your vote after the jump:
There are clearly arguments for both approaches. On one hand it's not completely fair for players who don't have a chance to compete in CONCACAF Champions League to be measured against players who have the benefit of playing in those additional games, but on the other hand players who are competing on multiple fronts have a much tougher work load and therefore have a case for deserving more consideration.
It's definitely not an easy one, which is why I decided to pose the question, to see what SBI readers think.
What do you think? How did you vote, and why? Who would be your MLS MVP if all three competitions were factored in? Would it be different from your MVP in only MLS matches?
Share your thoughts below.