Fire all over MLS year-end award finalists

When a team goes from back-to-back last place finishes to third in the league, it's not a surprise when that team is well-represented on the list of year-end award finalists.

Nemanja Nikolic (twice), Veljko Paunovic and Matt Lampson were listed as finalists for various year-end awards in MLS. In each case, voting has closed for the awards and naming finalists is simply a recognition of the top vote-getters.

Nikolic, who won the Golden Boot this year by scoring 24 goals, is one of five finalists for the Landon Donovan MVP award. Nikolic is joined by Atlanta's Miguel Almiron, Portland's Diego Valeri, New York City FC's David Villa and Toronto's Sebastian Giovinco. Valeri and Villa are considered the favorites, leaving Nikolic as a bit of a darkhorse, but as the league's leading goal-scorer he still earned some consideration.

Nikolic was also included as one of three finalists for Newcomer of the Year. Again, Nikolic's resume is hard to fight here with Almiron and Atlanta's Josef Martinez also making the final three. Martinez may have won the Golden Boot had he stayed healthy. The Venezuelan striker scored 19 goals in 20 appearances, 17 of which were starts.

Paunovic made the cut as one of three finalists for Coach of the Year. The Serbian took the Fire from last in his first year to having the third-best record in the regular season. Toronto's Greg Vanney, who guided TFC to the highest-point total in league history, and Atlanta's Tata Martino, who took an expansion team to the playoffs for the third time in league history, both probably have better resumes than Paunovic, but all three have an argument for the award.

The timing of Paunovic being announced as a finalist coincides with Serbia removing national team coach Slavoljub Muslin despite the country qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. Paunovic won the Under-20 World Cup with Serbia in 2015 and likely would be interested in the job, but his relative lack of high-level experience may make Serbia pause, even for one of the country's favorite sons.

Lampson is again a finalist for Humanitarian of the Year after winning the award last year. He has worked on his LampStrong Foundation to support childhood cancer patients.