MLSsoccer.com editors make their picks for the 2015 Newcomer of the Year Award.
2015 Newcomer of the Year Award
<b>Editor</b> |
<b>Pick</b> |
<b>Reason</b> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/GregLalas_0.jpg" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 0px; width: 50px; height: 50px;"><p><strong>Greg Lalas</strong><br><em>Editor-In-Chief</em></p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/david-villa" target="_blank">David Villa</a><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/david-villa" target="_blank"></a> |
<p>He’s pumped to be where he is and has all the tools to bang in goal after goal after goal.</p> |
<strong><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/JasonSaghini_0.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"></strong><p><strong>Jason Saghini</strong><br><em>Director of Video</em></p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/kaka" target="_blank">Kaka</a> |
<p>Don’t fool yourself into thinking he’s anything less than a superstar. He’ll dominate at times and Orlando City will impress.</p> |
<strong><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/Rosano_0.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"></strong><p><strong>Nick Rosano</strong><br><em>Editor</em></p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/kaka" target="_blank">Kaka</a> |
<p>Will be the centerpiece of a surprising, incisive Orlando City team, and should put up healthy numbers to back up his case.</p> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/AndrewWiebe_0.jpg" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 0px; width: 50px; height: 50px;"><p><strong>Andrew Wiebe</strong><br><em>Editor</em></p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/kaka" target="_blank">Kaka</a> |
<p>It's going to a big name. Go ahead and chisel that in stone. Because Jozy Altidore will steal some of Giovinco's thunder and Frank Lampard will eventually do the same to David Villa, I'm going with Kaka.</p> |
<em><strong><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/Doyle_0.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"></strong></em><p><strong>Matt Doyle</strong><br><em>Armchair Analyst</em></p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/sebastian-giovinco" target="_blank">Sebastian Giovinco</a> |
<p>Three-man race between Giovinco, Octavio Rivero and Kaka.</p> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/Borg_0.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"><p><strong>Simon Borg</strong><br><em>Senior Editor</em></p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/kaka" target="_blank">Kaka</a> |
<p>Unless something goes horribly wrong in Orlando, it is impossible that this award doesn't have Kaka's name on it at season's end.</p> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/BENJAMIN_50x50.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"><p><strong>Ben Baer</strong><br><em>Content Researcher</em></p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/david-villa" target="_blank">David Villa</a> |
<p>Villa will not only win this award but he will also have a major say on who comes away with the Landon Donovan MVP award.</p> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/Yards-50x50.png" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 0px; width: 50px; height: 50px;"><p><strong>Jonathan Yardley</strong><br><em>Contributing Editor<br>
MLS Broadcaster</em><br></p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/kaka" target="_blank">Kaka</a> |
<p>Close race with David Villa, but Kaka's a great fit in Orlando's system.</p> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/Charlie-50x50.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"><p><strong>Charles Boehm</strong><br><em>Contributing Editor</em></p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/laurent-ciman" target="_blank">Laurent Ciman</a> |
<p>We've already seen signs of it in CCL – Ciman is a game-changing addition to any MLS back line, and looks like exactly what the Impact lineup needed.</p> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/Slerns%2050x50.jpg" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 0px; width: 50px; height: 50px;"><p><strong>Sarah Lerner</strong><br><em>Social Media</em></p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/octavio-rivero" target="_blank">Octavio Rivero</a> |
<p>Raw goalscoring abilities + Pedro Morales playing point make Octavio Rivero the favorite for me.</p> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/image_nodes/2015/02/stejskal%28FORMATTED%29_1.jpg" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 0px; width: 50px; height: 50px;"><p><strong>Sam Stejskal</strong><br><em>Contributing Editor</em></p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/sebastian-giovinco" target="_blank">Sebastian Giovinco</a> |
<p>Giovinco is the obvious pick for a reason: Unless things go completely haywire in Toronto – more completely haywire than usual, anyway – he should rack up the numbers and pocket the Newcomer of the Year trophy.</p> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/ALICIA_50x50.jpg" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 0px; width: 50px; height: 50px;"><p><strong>Alicia Rodriguez</strong><br><em>Contributing Editor</em></p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/kaka" target="_blank">Kaka</a> |
<p>As long as his body holds up over the long season, he seems like he'll put up elite numbers in his first season in MLS.</p> |
