Awards Pick 'Em: MLSsoccer.com editors give their take on who should win Volkswagen MVP award

Mike Magee - Pick Em





It's been the most unpredictable, up-and-down MLS season in recent memory, and maybe of all-time. Calling anything before the season's done is only for the stoutest of heart.
And hey, that's us! So with what will probably be the wildest final weekend in league history remaining, we're dishing out our awards picks. Foolish? Maybe. But as the Romans said, audentes fortuna iuvat!
See the full awards schedule here!

<strong>Editor</strong>
<strong>Score</strong>
<strong>Comments</strong>
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/GregLalas_0.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"><br><strong>Greg Lalas</strong><br><em>Editor-In-Chief</em></p>
<br><p class="rtecenter"><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/mike-magee" target="_blank"><strong>MIKE MAGEE</strong></a><br><b>Chicago Fire</b></p>
<p>It&#39;s pretty simple here: Without Magee, the Fire probably would&#39;ve resembled D.C. or Chivas. No single player has energized a team &ndash; or a whole club &ndash; since Mathis joined the MetroStars.</p><ul><li><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/video/2013/10/19/goal-magee-converts-penalty-classy-soft-chip" target="_blank"><b>PK: Pressure-packed Panenka? Why not!</b></a></li></ul>
<br><p><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/freedman_2.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"><br><strong>Jonah Freedman</strong><br><em>Managing Editor</em></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/mike-magee" target="_blank"><strong>MIKE MAGEE</strong></a><br><b>Chicago Fire</b></p>
<p>We can talk all we want about he&#39;s single-handedly carrying the overachieving Fire to the brink of a playoff spot, but let&#39;s also think about the flip side: How much better would the Galaxy be if they hadn&#39;t traded the guy who&#39;s been at the front of the Golden Boot race all season? He&#39;d <em>still</em> be in discussion for this award.</p><ul><li><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/video/2013/09/12/fast-fluid-play-week-magee-fire-chicago" target="_blank"><strong>Fast and Fluid: Magee on fire for Chicago</strong></a></li></ul>
<em><strong><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/valencia_1.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"></strong></em><p class="rtecenter"><strong>Kristel Valencia</strong><br><em>Editor FutbolMLS.com</em></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/mike-magee" target="_blank"><strong>MIKE MAGEE</strong></a><br><b>Chicago Fire</b></p>
<p>Twenty goals in a single season and the only reason why the Chicago Fire are battling for a spot in the playoffs. Magee is the cornerstone of the club and he was smart enough to see that leaving the Galaxy was not only a trip home, but a way to elevate himself in the national consciousness.</p><ul><li><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/video/2013/09/14/goal-mike-magee-scores-his-16th-year-equalize" target="_blank"><strong>GOAL: Magee&#39;s clinic on off-the-ball movement</strong></a></li></ul>
<p class="rtecenter"><em><strong><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/Doyle_2.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"></strong></em><br><strong>Matt Doyle</strong><br><em>Armchair Analyst</em></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/mike-magee" target="_blank"><strong>MIKE MAGEE</strong></a><br><b>Chicago Fire</b></p>
<p>Part of me wants to pick Tim Cahill just to be different &ndash;&nbsp;he certainly deserves consideration. But that would necessitate ignoring just how awful Chicago were before Magee came on board. You elevate a team like that and score 20 goals in the process, and you get a trophy. Period.</p><ul><li><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/video/2013/07/07/goal-magee-slips-it-past-nielsen-top-box" target="_blank"><strong>GOAL: Magee beats the trap by a mile</strong></a></li></ul>
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/AndrewWiebe_0.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"><br><strong>Andrew Wiebe</strong><br><em>Editor</em></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/mike-magee" target="_blank"><strong>MIKE MAGEE</strong></a><br><b>Chicago Fire</b></p>
<p>If this award is truly about value, then Magee has it all but wrapped up &ndash; assuming the Fire make the playoffs, of course. Nobody&rsquo;s been more important to the fate of their team, a claim backed up by the club&rsquo;s rise up the standings as their Golden Boot contender racked up the goals. Need tangible proof? Chicago had two wins from 11 games when Magee arrived. With him in the fold, they&rsquo;ve got 12 in 22 with their talisman contributing 14 goals and four assists.</p><ul><li><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/video/2013/09/07/goal-magees-perfectly-timed-run-puts-chicago-lead" target="_blank"><strong>GOAL: Magee somehow beats the trap - again</strong></a></li></ul>
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/JasonSaghini_1.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"><br><strong>Jason Saghini</strong><br><em>Director of Video</em></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/mike-magee" target="_blank"><strong>MIKE MAGEE</strong></a><br><b>Chicago Fire</b></p>
<p>With consideration going to Tim Cahill, Marco Di Vaio, Jos&eacute; Gon&ccedil;alves, Will Johnson and Robbie Keane, I ended up picking Mike Magee. I believe the MVP needs to come from a playoff team, so I reserve the right to change my vote after the weekend, but Magee&#39;s career season has helped rescue a hapless Chicago team and turn them into a playoff contender.</p><ul><li><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/video/2013/08/23/goal-jumper-heads-opening-goal-magee-anibaba" target="_blank"><b>ASSIST: Magee gives Jumper a tap-in</b></a></li></ul>
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/Borg_0.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"><br><strong>Simon Borg</strong><br><em>Senior Editor</em></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/mike-magee" target="_blank"><strong>MIKE MAGEE</strong></a><br><b>Chicago Fire</b></p>
<p>The Fire want to make the jump to be an elite MLS team, sort of like the LA Galaxy. What better way to get there than by importing one of the Galaxy&#39;s main cogs? Aside from the obvious goals he&#39;s contributed, Magee has infused the Fire with the urgency, accountability and winning attitude that have fueled the Galaxy&#39;s run of success in recent years.</p><ul><li><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/video/2013/08/03/goal-mike-magee-finesses-shot-past-zac-macmath" target="_blank"><strong>GOAL: Magee punishes Union turnover</strong></a></li></ul>
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/Rosano_2.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"><br><strong>Nick Rosano</strong><br><em>Editor</em></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/marco-di-vaio" target="_blank"><strong>MARCO DI VAIO</strong></a><br><strong>Montreal Impact</strong></p>
<p>No doubt this is a close one between Di Vaio and Magee, but the Italian edges it. He&#39;s scored all 20 of his goals for one team, and that&#39;s without taking a single penalty kick. Throw in the fact that, like Magee and the Fire, the Impact have gotten precious few goals from elsewhere and that Montreal is more likely to make the playoffs, and you&#39;ve got a great MVP case.</p><ul><li><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/video/2013/09/28/goal-di-vaio-takes-great-touch-and-slots-home-his-left" target="_blank"><strong>GOAL: Di Vaio somehow finds space in the box</strong></a></li></ul>