While we wait for the most important part of the season to begin - the playoff season - I'll throw my two cents worth into the MVP debate.
The way I figure it, there are five real candidates for the Honda MVP Award in 2005: the Quakes Dwayne De Rosario, Taylor Twellman of the Revolution, Christian Gomez and Jaime Moreno of D.C. United and the Galaxy's Landon Donovan.
If this were to be a totally neutral evaluation of the most valuable player in this league, it would be difficult to vote for anybody other than Donovan. In only 21 games, he has 11 goals and 10 assists, with seven game-winning goals. He is the most creative, the most intuitive and the most dangerous one-on-one player in the league, and in all of American soccer.
But Landon is the face of the most under-achieving team in the league. The Galaxy went into the last week of the season without the assurance of getting home-field advantage in the playoffs, despite having the greatest advantage of any team in the league: The Home Depot Center and the highest payroll in MLS. If the Galaxy lose to the Quakes Saturday night at home they will finish with a dead-even 13-13-6 record. There is too much overwhelming evidence to allow Landon to walk away with the award that should go to the man who made the biggest difference on a winning team.
Taylor Twellman goes into the final week of the season leading the league with 16 goals, including five game-winners. He has a hat trick and has twice scored two goals in a game. Of the 12 games in which Twellman has scored, the Revs lost two and were tied three times. Twellman works hard in every game, he creates chances for himself and others, and keeps defenders busy for 90 minutes. There wouldn't be much argument from many people if Twellman walked away with the honor.
Of the two D.C. United candidates, one is clearly ahead of the other in this reporter's opinion: Christian Gomez. He has three game-winning goals and three game-winning assists. With 11 goals and 10 assists, the 30-year-old Argentine has burst onto the scene and helped United once again become a serious championship contender. There are two basic reasons why Jaime Moreno gets second fiddle status on his own team in this argument. Eight of Moreno's 15 goals have come from the penalty spot, and he has but one game-winning goal and one game winning assist in 2005. There are lots of goals, plenty of attention from defenders and the respect of just about anybody who watches the game, but in 2005 Moreno is not MVP material.
On the home front, the leading candidate is Dwayne De Rosario. This is a train that has been gaining some speed over the last several weeks. In mid-summer a couple of national writers asked who I thought would be the MVP of the Quakes and I suggested De Rosario. At the time the idea seemed absurd to them both. And now I'm reading in national publications and online that De Ro may be the guy who takes home the MVP award in 2005.
There are plenty reasons to support his candidacy (if one can be a candidate for a season-ending award voted by players, coaches and media members). De Rosario is the leading producer of goals (8 goals and 13 assists) on the league's best team; he has four game-winning goals (half his total) and five game-winning assists; the Quakes are 7-0-1 in games in which he has scored; when Dwayne was moved into the attacking midfield position the Quakes improved not only on offense but defensively as well (outscoring their opponents 38-19 in his 25 starts).
It's pretty easy for me to endorse De Rosario; I see him play every weekend and I've seen him mature this year from a part-time forward who had flashes of brilliance and games full of inconsistency, into a steady, dependable midfielder who is a scorer, a passer, a defender and a team leader.
Dwayne De Rosario is the kind of player Major League Soccer should be lauding from the top of the mountain. He is humble and ambitious and has made himself (with some help from the Quakes coaching staff) into a rock solid performer. He works as hard for 90 minutes as any player the Quakes have ever had. He scores big goals and he scores with flair. He is admired by teammates and opponents.
Donovan may be the league's best player, but De Rosario is the league's most valuable.
John Shrader has been the voice of the Earthquakes since 1996 and has worked in television and radio in the Bay Area for the past 20 years. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
