LA Galaxy name team awards

CARSON, Calif. --
LA Galaxy forward Landon Donovan and defender Sean Franklin have been named the winners of the club's team awards for the 2008 MLS season. These awards will be presented to the winners prior to today's regular season finale between the Galaxy and FC Dallas at The Home Depot Center.

Donovan has been named the Galaxy's Most Valuable Player and U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year, in addition to winning the Budweiser Golden Boot as the club's top scorer. Franklin, a rookie defender from Palmdale, Calif., has been named the club's Defender of the Year. Additionally, following the game, the Riot Squad, a Galaxy' Supporters Group, will give out their Player of the Year award to defender Chris Klein.

A closer look at the Galaxy's team award winners follows:

HONDA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: For the second time in his four years with the Galaxy, Landon Donovan has been named the club's Most Valuable Player by the local media. Leading the team with 19 goals and tied for the club lead with nine assists, Donovan is a strong contender for the MLS MVP award after taking the Galaxy's team award for the second time, having also received the award in 2006. The 26-year old has appeared in 24 games this season, making 22 starts while playing 2,046 minutes, good for the sixth most on the team and is on the verge of the third 20-goal season in club history. The all-time leading scorer with the U.S. National Team, Donovan became the fourth youngest player in history to record 100 caps for his country in June. In his four years with the Galaxy, Donovan, who tied the club record with seven multi-goal games this season, including two hat tricks, now has 51 goals and 40 assists in 95 regular season games.

DEFENDER OF THE YEAR: The second consecutive rookie to win the award, Sean Franklin was voted as the club's Visa Defender of the Year by the local media. The No. 4 pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft out of Cal State Northridge, Franklin has appeared in 26 games this season, making 25 starts along the Galaxy backline and collecting one assist. A native of Palmdale, Calif., the 23-year old entered today's game with 2,295 minutes player, which is the second most on the club this season and the most of any rookie in MLS. Franklin was an unused substitute in the Galaxy's first game of the season but has been a constant fixture in the club's defense ever since, playing primarily as a center back as opposed to his natural position of right back. A mid-season knee injury forced him to miss two games, but he returned as strong as before, playing the full 90 minutes in all 11 games since his return. He recorded the first assist of his MLS career on Edson Buddle's game-opening goal in the 3-2 win over Colorado on September 12.

BUDWEISER GOLDEN BOOT: For the fourth consecutive season, Landon Donovan earned the club's Budweiser Golden Boot award. Heading into today's game, Donovan, who was the MLS Player of the Month in April and a four-time Player of the Week, has an MLS-best 19 goals in 23 games, setting a career-high. The 26-year old has tied a club record with seven multi-goal games this season, including hat tricks in the 5-2 win over Chivas USA on April 26 and the 5-2 win over D.C. United on September 20. Prior to this season, Donovan's career-high for goals in a season was 12, a mark that he eclipsed on August 3 at San Jose in just his 16th game of the year. Donovan's 19 goals tie Cobi Jones' mark for the third highest single season tally in club history, two shy of Eduardo Hurtado's 21 goals in 1996 and Carlos Ruiz's 24 goal season in 2002. With his 19th goal of the year, Donovan, who is a goal and an assist shy of becoming the first player in MLS history with 20 goals and 10 assists in a season, tied Carlos Ruiz for second place in club history with 51 career regular season goals for the club.

U.S. SOCCER FOUNDATION HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR: For the second consecutive season, Landon Donovan has also been named the Galaxy's 2008 U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year. Donovan is actively involved with the team and Galaxy Foundation's off field community endeavors including the "Foundations' Feast," where Donovan, along with other members of the Galaxy, serve Thanksgiving meals to 200 kids and families in need. Annually, he supports the Galaxy Foundation's Holiday Assist Program, which includes a Build-A-Bear event, where he helps build and then deliver 100 Soccer Santa Bears to kids at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Despite his commitments on the field with the Galaxy and U.S. National Team, Donovan consistently makes time to support the Galaxy's outreach, grassroots and soccer initiatives. In addition to the club and foundation's endeavors, Donovan has supported the good work of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and with wife Bianca, support the Amputee Coalition of America, a national, non-profit amputee consumer educational organization representing people who have experienced amputation or are born with limb differences, the Lili Claire Foundation, an organization created to help enhance the lives of individuals with neurogenetic disorders and their families through medical and social services, and A Wish For All Animals, which rescues and aids animals in critical need of medical attention.

The following are the Galaxy's past team award winners:

For more information about the Galaxy and these awards, please visit the club's official website at www.lagalaxy.com.