On Thursday Major League Soccer announced the finalists for their 2014 awards.
Headlining the vast number of award categories was the league’s MVP gong and the three finalists have been confirmed as Robbie Keane of the LA Galaxy, the Seattle Sounders’ Obafemi Martins and the New England Revolution’s main man, Lee Nguyen.
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One name is notably missing from that list: Bradley Wright-Phillips.
The New York Red Bulls striker equalled the all-time record for most goals in a season (27) but is not up for the MVP award. Also, should Landon Donovan have been in with a shout for MVP? After breaking the all-time goals and assist record in his most productive season since 2010, you would think so. But perhaps MLS has one or two other awards planned for Donovan when he retires in the coming weeks...
Elsewhere the Rookie of the Year title will go to one of FC Dallas’ Tesho Akindele, D.C. United’s Steve Birnbaum or, the favorite, Harrison Shipp of the Chicago Fire.
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In the Coach of the Year awards Columbus’ Gregg Berhalter is one of the finalists after guiding the Crew into the playoffs during his first-ever season coaching in MLS. Ben Olsen led D.C. United from worst to first in the Eastern Conference and gets the nod, while Seattle Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid is the final nominee. Anybody else feel a little hard done by for Oscar Pareja and his impressive job in Dallas?
Below is a list of all the categories, including the very interesting battle for “Newcomer of the Year,” and the finalists for each as the winners will be announced between Nov. 24 and Dec. 5.
Agree? Disagree? Let us know what you think about the finalists and if anybody missed out.
Volkswagen Most Valuable Player Finalists
Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy)
Obafemi Martins (Seattle Sounders FC)
Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution)
AT&T Rookie of the Year Finalists
Tesho Akindele (FC Dallas)
Steven Birnbaum (D.C. United)
Harrison Shipp (Chicago Fire)
Defender of the Year Finalists
Bobby Boswell (D.C. United)
Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy)
Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders FC)
Coach of the Year Finalists
Gregg Berhalter (Columbus Crew SC)
Ben Olsen (D.C. United)
Sigi Schmid (Seattle Sounders FC)
Comeback Player of the Year Finalists
Charlie Davies (New England Revolution)
Stefan Frei (Seattle Sounders FC)
Rodney Wallace (Portland Timbers)
Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year Finalists
Steve Clark (Columbus Crew SC)
Bill Hamid (D.C. United)
Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Newcomer of the Year Finalists
Stefan Ishizaki (LA Galaxy)
Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution)
Pedro Morales (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year Finalists
Diego Chara (Portland Timbers)
AJ DeLaGarza (LA Galaxy)
Zach Loyd (FC Dallas)
Xbox Individual Fair Play Finalists
Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers)
Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew SC)
Harrison Shipp (Chicago Fire)
Xbox Team Fair Play Finalists
LA Galaxy
Philadelphia Union
Real Salt Lake