Four members of the New England Revolution are finalists for Major League Soccer's season-ending awards, the league announced on Monday. Defender Michael Parkhurst headlines the list as one of three finalists for both MLS Defender of the Year and the Fair Play Award.
Parkhurst is joined on the finalist lists by teammates Matt Reis (Panasonic Goalkeeper of the Year), Pat Noonan (Comeback Player of the Year) and Adam Cristman (Gatorade Rookie of the Year). With finalists in five categories, the Revs are the most-represented team on the list of finalists for the eight player/coach awards.
The finalists for all MLS awards are the top three vote-getters in each category in voting done by MLS players, general managers, coaches, referees and members of the media. Winners for most of the awards will be announced in the coming week, beginning on Wednesday, Oct. 31, with the Panasonic Goalkeeper of the Year and Fair Play Awards.
The MLS Honda Most Valuable Player will be named on Thursday, Nov. 15, followed by the Best XI and MLS Newcomer of the Year on Saturday, Nov. 17, at the MLS Awards Gala.
The U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year - for which Parkhurst is also a nominee and the 2006 winner of the award -- was determined by the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Major League Soccer and MLS club representatives and will be announced on Thursday, Nov. 1.
The Revolution finished second in the Eastern Conference with a 14-8-8 record and opened its two-game, total-goals series with the third-place New York Red Bulls last weekend. The teams played to a 0-0 draw at Giants Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 27, and will play the return leg at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on Saturday, Nov. 3. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and Fox Soccer Channel will televise the game nationally, including 30-minute pre- and post-game shows.
The Revs were the only higher-seeded team to earn a result in the first weekend of playoff action and are the only higher-seeded team that does not have to overcome a deficit in total goals this weekend in the concluding Game Two this weekend.
2007 MLS AWARDS FINALISTS
(listed in alphabetical order)
Panasonic Goalkeeper of the Year Finalists:
Brad Guzan - Chivas USA, Pat Onstad - Houston Dynamo, Matt Reis - New England Revolution
Fair Play Finalists - Individual:
Cobi Jones - LA Galaxy, Michael Parkhurst - New England Revolution, Eddie Pope - Real Salt Lake
MLS Comeback Player of the Year Finalists:
Frankie Hejduk - Columbus Crew, Eddie Johnson - Kansas City Wizards, Pat Noonan - New England Revolution
MLS Defender of the Year Finalists:
Michael Parkhurst - New England Revolution, Eddie Robinson - Houston Dynamo, Claudio Suarez - Chivas USA
OSI Referee of the Year Finalists:
Brian Hall, Jair Marrufo, Alex Prus
Gatorade Rookie of the Year Finalists:
Adam Cristman - New England Revolution, Maurice Edu - Toronto FC, Dane Richards - New York Red Bulls
MLS Coach of the Year Finalists:
Dominic Kinnear - Houston Dynamo, Preki - Chivas USA, Tom Soehn - D.C. United
Honda MLS Most Valuable Player Finalists:
Juan Pablo Angel - New York Red Bulls, Cuauhtemoc Blanco - Chicago Fire, Luciano Emilio - D.C. United
Newcomer of the Year:
Juan Pablo Angel - New York Red Bulls, Cuauhtemoc Blanco - Chicago Fire, Luciano Emilio - D.C. United
SCHEDULE OF AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENTS
Wednesday, October 31:
Goalkeeper of the Year
Fair Play Award Individual & Team
Thursday, November 1:
U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year
U.S. Soccer Foundation Team Humanitarian of the Year
Sierra Mist Goal of the Year Top Ten
Monday, November 5:
Comeback Player of the Year
Defender of the Year
OSI Referee of the Year
Wednesday, November 7:
Gatorade Rookie of the Year
MLS Coach of the Year
Thursday, November 8:
Sierra Mist Goal of the Year Five Finalists
Thursday, November 15:
Honda MLS Most Valuable Player
Friday, November 16:
Sierra Mist Goal of the Year
Saturday, November 17:
Best XI
Newcomer of the Year
