Real Salt Lake’s Rubio Rubin Wins 2021 AT&T MLS Goal of the Year
NEW YORK(Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021) – Major League Soccer today announced that Real Salt Lake forward Rubio Rubin has won the 2021 AT&T Goal of the Year with jaw-dropping bicycle kick in RSL’s match vs. the San Jose Earthquakes on May 7.
Rubin’s award-winning AT&T Goal of the Year came in the 43rd minute of the contest at Rio Tinto Stadium, as he took a controlling touch with his chest, then launched a right-footed overhead kick that left Quakes goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski with no chance (WATCH GOAL HERE). The goal was one of eight on the season for Rubin, in his first season in Major League Soccer.
The 2021 AT&T MLS Goal of the Year was determined by fan votes on MLSsoccer.com and has been awarded since the league’s inaugural 1996 season.
Seattle Sounders FC’s Stefan Frei Wins 2021 Save of the Year Presented by Allstate
Major League Soccer also today announced Seattle Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei has claimed the 2021 MLS Save of the Year presented by Allstate for his save in Sounders FC’s match against Real Salt Lake on Sept. 18.
In the 57th minute of the match vs. RSL at Rio Tinto Stadium, from a pass across the penalty area from the left, Frei stoned the resulting close-range effort by Albert Rusnák with a difficult kick save to keep it out of the net (WATCH SAVE HERE). Frei ended the season allowing less than a goal per game in his 17 league appearances (0.94 goals against average), recording four shutouts.
The MLS Save of the Year presented by Allstate was determined by fan votes on MLSsoccer.com, and the award was established in 2009.
The 2021 AT&T Goal of the Year video and 2021 MLS Save of the Year presented by Allstate video are available for download on the MLS video and photo database.
All uses should include the following credit: Courtesy Major League Soccer, L.L.C.
All-time MLS Goal of the Year winners:
2021: Rubio Rubin – Real Salt Lake | 5/7/21 vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 43rd minute
2020: Darlington Nagbe – Columbus Crew SC | 8/20/20 vs. Chicago Fire FC, 81st minute
2019: Josef Martínez – Atlanta United | 9/18/19 vs. FC Cincinnati, 65th minute
2018: Zlatan Ibrahimović – LA Galaxy | 3/31/18 vs. Los Angeles Football Club, 77th minute
2017: Héctor Villalba – Atlanta United | 7/21/17 vs. Orlando City SC, 86th minute
2016: Shkëlzen Gashi – Colorado Rapids | 9/24/16 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 75th minute
2015: Krisztián Németh – Sporting Kansas City | 10/4/15 vs. Portland Timbers, 83rd minute
2014: Obafemi Martins – Seattle Sounders FC | 5/23/14 vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 8th minute
2013: Camilo Sanvezzo – Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 10/6/13 vs. Portland Timbers, 78th minute
2012: Patrick Ianni – Seattle Sounders FC | 6/20/12 vs. Sporting Kansas City, 15th minute
2011: Darlington Nagbe – Portland Timbers | 7/2/11 vs. Sporting Kansas City, 45th minute
2010: Marco Pappa – Chicago Fire | 4/10/10 vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 52nd minute
2009: Landon Donovan – LA Galaxy | 8/8/09 vs. New England Revolution, 21st minute
2008: Will Johnson – Real Salt Lake | 10/18/08 vs. FC Dallas, 54th minute
2007: Cuauhtémoc Blanco – Chicago Fire | 8/18/07 vs. Real Salt Lake, 43rd minute
2006: Brian Ching – Houston Dynamo | 9/30/06 v D.C. United, 86th minute
2005: Dwayne De Rosario – San Jose Earthquakes | 10/15/05 vs. LA Galaxy, 45th minute
2004: Dwayne De Rosario – San Jose Earthquakes | 8/7/04 vs. D.C. United, 82nd minute
2003: Damani Ralph – Chicago Fire | 8/13/03 vs. Columbus Crew SC, 90th minute
2002: Carlos Ruiz – LA Galaxy | 7/27/02 vs. Columbus Crew SC, 75th minute
2001: Clint Mathis – MetroStars | 4/28/01 vs. Dallas Burn, 60th minute
2000: Marcelo Balboa – Colorado Rapids | 4/22/00 vs. Columbus Crew SC, 55th minute
1999: Marco Etcheverry – D.C. United | 5/22/99 vs. Miami Fusion, 90th minute
1998: Brian McBride – Columbus Crew | 7/9/98 vs. Chicago Fire, 68th minute
1997: Marco Etcheverry – D.C. United | 8/27/97 vs. New England Revolution, 39th minute
1996: Eric Wynalda – San Jose Clash | 4/6/96 vs. D.C. United, 88th minute
All-time MLS Save of the Year winners:
2021: Stefan Frei – Seattle Sounders FC | 9/18/21 vs. Real Salt Lake, 57th minute
2020: Eloy Room – Columbus Crew SC | 11/4/20 vs. Orlando City SC, 30th minute
2019: Nick Rimando – Real Salt Lake | 8/24/19 vs. Colorado Rapids, 27th minute
2018: Stefan Frei – Seattle Sounders FC | 7/4/18 vs. Colorado Rapids, 82nd minute
2017: Brad Guzan – Atlanta United | 10/15/17 vs. New York Red Bulls, 65th minute
2016: Joe Bendik – Orlando City SC | 5/15/16 vs. Sporting Kansas City, 45th minute
2015: Adam Kwarasey – Portland Timbers | 8/15/15 vs. Real Salt Lake, 31st minute
2014: Luis Robles – New York Red Bulls | 9/20/14 vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 69th minute
2013: Nick Rimando – Real Salt Lake | 8/3/13 vs. Colorado Rapids, 53rd minute
2012: Nick Rimando – Real Salt Lake | 4/14/12 vs. Sporting Kansas City, 75th minute
2011: Kasey Keller – Seattle Sounders FC | 10/15/11 vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 64th minute
2010: Kasey Keller – Seattle Sounders FC | 4/17/10 vs. Kansas City Wizards, 92+ minute
2009: Pat Onstad – Houston Dynamo | 4/19/09 vs. Colorado Rapids, 83rd minute
