NEW YORK - Major League Soccer today announced that D.C. United goalkeeper Troy Perkins was the winner of the 2006 Panasonic Goalkeeper of the Year award and Real Salt Lake midfielder Chris Klein was named the winner of the Kraft Global Fair Play award.
The League also announced that for the second year in a row the Kansas City Wizards are the winners of the Kraft Global Team Fair Play award, recognizing the team with the fewest disciplinary points during the course of the regular season.
Perkins, who is in his third full season with MLS, anchored the D.C. United defense while leading his team to the best record (15-7-10) in the MLS. He led the league with 15 wins this season. He ranked third in shutouts (8), goals against average (1.13) and saves (100). Perkins led the voting ahead of Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Joe Cannon and New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis.
Perkins won the MLS Player of the Week award in Week 13, and was selected to his first MLS All-Star game, where he helped keep a clean sheet against English powerhouse Chelsea FC.
Klein epitomized sportsmanship throughout the 2006 season and claimed the Kraft Global Fair Play award. In his first season with Real Salt Lake, Klein started all 32 games playing 2,842 minutes and committed only 18 fouls. Considered to be one of the hardest working and classiest players in the league, Klein has not received a caution in the past two years, a span of 63 games. Klein beat out Chicago Fire midfielder Justin Mapp and New England midfielder Steve Ralston for the award.
The Wizards claimed the Kraft Global Team Fair Play award for accumulating the fewest disciplinary points during the 2006 campaign (353.5 points). Disciplinary points are assigned as follows: one point for each caution point received by a player, 10 points for each red card, 0.50 points for each foul committed, and a reduction of 15 points for every clean game in which a team does not receive either a yellow or red card nor has a player sanctioned by the MLS Disciplinary Committee.
The MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and the Kraft Global Fair Play award were determined by equal voting from the media, MLS players and MLS coaches and general managers.
MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Winners:
2006: Troy Perkins - D.C. United
2005: Pat Onstad - San Jose Earthquakes
2004: Joe Cannon - Colorado Rapids
2003: Pat Onstad - San Jose Earthquakes
2002: Joe Cannon - San Jose Earthquakes
2001: Tim Howard - MetroStars
2000: Tony Meola - Kansas City Wizards
1999: Kevin Hartman - Los Angeles Galaxy
1998: Zach Thornton - Chicago Fire
1997: Brad Friedel - Columbus Crew
1996: Mark Dodd - Dallas Burn
Kraft Global Fair Play Award - Individual Winners:
2006: Chris Klein - Real Salt Lake
2005: Ronald Cerritos - San Jose Earthquakes
2004: Eddie Pope - MetroStars
2003: Brian McBride - Columbus Crew
2002: Mark Chung - Colorado Rapids
2001: Alex Pineda Chacon - Miami Fusion
2000: Steve Ralston - Tampa Bay Mutiny
1999: Steve Ralston - Tampa Bay Mutiny
1998: Thomas Dooley - Columbus Crew
1997: Mark Chung - Kansas City Wizards
Kraft Global Fair Play Award -Team Winners:
2006: Kansas City Wizards
2005: Kansas City Wizards
2004: Columbus Crew
2003: New England Revolution
2002: Kansas City Wizards
2001: San Jose Earthquakes
2000: Tampa Bay Mutiny
1999: Columbus Crew
1998: Kansas City Wizards
1997: Columbus Crew
