NEW YORK - Major League Soccer today announced that Kansas City Wizards teammates Jimmy Conrad and Chris Klein were selected as the MLS Defender of the Year and MLS Comeback Player of the Year respectively. The League also announced that Real Salt Lake midfielder Brian Kamler was recognized as the U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year and that veteran referee Brian Hall was voted the Official Sports International Referee of the Year.
The 28 year-old Conrad earns his first MLS Defender of the Year award a year after finishing among the three finalists for the award. The six-year MLS veteran capped off a strong individual year that saw him start his first MLS All-Star Game, start for the MLS Select Team that faced Real Madrid in the Trofeo Santiago Bernabeu, and break through on the U.S. Men's National Team. He earned his first international cap during the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup and marshaled the U.S. back line in his first World Cup qualifier against Guatemala in September. With Conrad at the helm, the Wizards conceded only 44 goals in 32 regular season matches, with only four teams conceding fewer.
Klein has the unique distinction of claiming his second MLS Comeback Player of the Year award. In August of 2004, Klein suffered an ACL tear in his left knee that cut short his season, forcing him out of the Wizards U.S. Open Cup Championship and the team's run to MLS Cup 2004. It was Klein's second torn ACL of his career and he spent the off-season rehabilitating and regaining the strength that made him a force both with the Wizards and the U.S. National Team in 2004. He returned in 2005 to co-captain the Wizards, registering career-highs in starts (31) and assists (9) while tying his career-best in goals with seven. Klein was also recognized with the Comeback Player of the Year award following the 2002 season when he returned from an ACL tear in his right knee to become a U.S. National Team regular.
Along with 10 years of MLS experience, Kamler brought his leadership on and off the field to the Salt Lake City community, earning the U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year award. Volunteering his time, the midfielder served as the RSL spokesperson for "Covering Kids & Families" program, educating lower income families about health care programs and visiting schools Kamler has also joined Utah's First Lady Mary Kaye Huntsman to reach out to troubled youth through the "Power in You" program. In addition, the 33-year-old founded "Kam's Kauses", a program set up at every home game to help raise funds for local charities, including: United Way of Salt Lake, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation.
Hall returned to referee MLS games after a year in which he was forced to sit out due to injury. The California native and World Cup veteran becomes the second referee in MLS history to win the OSI Referee of the Year more than once.
The MLS Defender of the Year and the MLS Comeback player of the Year winners were determined by equal voting from the media (33.33 percent), MLS players (33.33 percent) and MLS coaches and general managers (33.33 percent). With each voting category representing one-third of the total votes, the formula used for determining the award winners involved assigning 33.33 total points to each category for a possible total of 99.99 points. All defenders on MLS rosters during the 2005 season were eligible for the Defender of the Year award. Teams nominated their candidates for Comeback Player of the Year and U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year. The voting totals were as follows:
MLS Defender of the Year
Media Players Coach/GM Total
Jimmy Conrad 5.64 7.06 9.15 21.84
Danny Califf 6.17 6.60 4.58 17.35
Tyrone Marshall 0.81 3.41 3.92 7.33
MLS Comeback Player of the Year
Media Players Coach/GM Total
Chris Klein 6.18 6.58 9.07 21.83
Herculez Gomez 8.71 6.80 5.22 20.72
Ronald Cerritos 5.11 5.13 6.80 17.04
Official Sports International Referee of the Year
Media Players Coach/GM Total
Brian Hall 10.15 7.86 9.96 27.98
Abbey Okulaja 4.08 8.78 3.99 16.85
Kevin Stott 5.53 4.82 4.89 15.24
MLS Defender of the Year Winners:
2005: Jimmy Conrad - Kansas City Wizards
2004: Robin Fraser - Columbus Crew
2003: Carlos Bocanegra - Chicago Fire
2002: Carlos Bocanegra - Chicago Fire
2001: Jeff Agoos - San Jose Earthquakes
2000: Peter Vermes - Kansas City Wizards
1999: Robin Fraser - Los Angeles Galaxy
1998: Lubos Kubik - Chicago Fire
1997: Eddie Pope - D.C. United
1996: John Doyle - San Jose Earthquakes
MLS Comeback Player of the Year Winners
2005: Chris Klein - Kansas City Wizards
2004: Brian Ching - San Jose Earthquakes
2003: Chris Armas - Chicago Fire
2002: Chris Klein - Kansas City Wizards
2001: Troy Dayak - San Jose Earthquakes
2000: Tony Meola - Kansas City Wizards
U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year Winners:
2005: Brian Kamler - Real Salt Lake
2004: Chris Henderson - Colorado Rapids
2003: Ben Olsen - D.C. United
2002: Steve Jolley - MetroStars
2001: Tim Howard - MetroStars
2000: Abdul T. Conteh - San Jose Earthquakes
OSI Referee of the Year Winners:
2005: Brian Hall
2004: Abiodun 'Abbey' Okulaja
2003: Brian Hall
2002: Kevin Terry
2001: Paul Tamberino
2000: Paul Tamberino
1999: Paul Tamberino
1998: Paul Tamberino
1997: Esse Baharmast
