Who is MLS' top rookie after Week 6?
Each week during the 2012 season, MLSsoccer.com's editors will cast their votes for the frontrunners, contenders and dark horses for MLS Rookie of the Year. By way of a virtuoso rookie campaign, Sporting Kansas City's C.J. Sapong took home the award in 2011, leaving a new crop of rookies to fight for the top honor handed out to first-year pros in Major League Soccer.
Make it three straight weeks at the top for Nick DeLeon, who was a unanimous choice at the top once against after week six in which he recorded his second and third assists of the season. Those feeds, in addition to two AT&T Goal of the Week-worthy strikes in the season's first month, are fueling what appears to be the beginning of a ROY campaign.
Moving into the top five this week was Kirk Urso, who has played every minute so far for a Crew side still trying to find their form and best 11. Tony Cascio also moved up after regaining his starting spot, while the top three remained unchanged from last week.
Make your voice heard by voting in the poll to the right!
Only MLS regular-season games reflected on schedule and statistics. All times are Eastern.
<strong>Rank</strong> |
<strong>Trending</strong> |
<strong>Last </strong> |
<strong>Player</strong> |
<strong>Comment</strong> |
<strong>1</strong> |
<img alt="" height="40" src="//league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/straight-line.png" width="40"> |
<strong>1</strong> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/DeLeon.jpg" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;"><strong>Nick DeLeon</strong> |
<p>No movement at the top. If anything, DeLeon increased his lead on his fellow rookies over the weekend. His corner found Dwayne De Rosario to set up Maicon Santos' opening goal, then the former Louisville standout fed Chris Pontius with a running header for the game-winner. It's hard to imagine Ben Olsen pulling him from the lineup Wednesday against Montreal – or anytime soon for that matter.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong>Defeated New England 2-1 (90 min, 2 A, 1 shot)</li><li><strong>This Week: </strong>Wednesday vs. Montreal (7:30 pm, <strong><a href="http://live.mlssoccer.com/mlsmdl/?utm_source=MLSsoccer&utm_medium=Article&utm_campaign=MLS%2BLive" target="_blank">MLS LIVE</a></strong>), Sunday vs. New York (6 pm, ESPN2)</li><li><strong>Season Statistics:</strong> 2 G, 3 A (5 GP, 4 GS)</li><li><strong>GOAL: <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/video/2012/03/30/goal-deleon-roofs-it" target="_blank">DeLeon roofs it</a></strong>, <strong>ASSIST: <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2012-03-30-dc-v-dal/highlights?videoID=180734" target="_blank">DeLeon sets up Cruz</a></strong>, <strong>GOAL: <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2012-03-18-la-v-dc/highlights?videoID=179502" target="_blank">DeLeon bends it in</a>, ASSIST: <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2012-04-14-ne-v-dc/highlights?videoID=182141" target="_blank">Corner finds DeRo then Santos</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="http://fantasy.mlssoccer.com/" target="_blank">MLS Fantasy Soccer Manager</a>:</strong> 32 points, $6.3 million (22.3 percent owned)</li></ul> |
<strong>2</strong> |
<img alt="" height="40" src="//league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/straight-line.png" width="40"> |
<strong>2</strong> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/Meara.jpg" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;"><strong>Ryan Meara</strong> |
<p>Meara is still waiting for that elusive first clean sheet, but he continues to acquit himself well in less than ideal circumstances in New York. Against San Jose at the weekend, his defense didn't give him much of a chance to save Rafael Baca or Chris Wondolowski's first-half efforts, but Meara did what he had to in order to preserve the 2-2 draw.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong>Tied San Jose 2-2 (90 min, 1 save)</li><li><strong>This Week: </strong>Sunday at D.C. United(6 pm, ESPN2)</li><li><strong>Season Statistics:</strong> 1.7 GAA, 3-2-1 (6 GP, 6 GS)</li><li><strong>SAVE: <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2012-04-07-clb-v-ny/highlights?videoID=181538" target="_blank">Meara stops Finlay</a></strong>, <strong>SAVE: <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2012-04-07-clb-v-ny/highlights?videoID=181521">Meara keeps Gaven out</a>, SAVE: <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2012-04-14-ny-v-sj/highlights?videoID=182279" target="_blank">Meara latches on to Stephenson's effort</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="http://fantasy.mlssoccer.com/" target="_blank">MLS Fantasy Soccer Manager</a>:</strong> 21 points, $5.0 million (11.4 percent owned)</li></ul> |
<strong>3</strong> |
<img alt="" height="40" src="//league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/straight-line.png" width="40"> |
<strong>3</strong> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/Rowe.jpg" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;"><strong>Kelyn Rowe</strong> |
<p>Another week, another 90 minutes for the young midfielder who is quickly establishing himself in MLS. Rowe wasn't shy with the ball at his feet against United, uncorking five shots, but he got just one effort on goal. He was also outshined by fellow rookie DeLeon, but there is still plenty of time for the UCLA product to narrow the gap.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong>Lost to D.C. United 2-1 (90 min, 5 shots, 1 shot on goal)</li><li><strong>This Week: </strong>Bye</li><li><strong>Season Statistics:</strong> 1 G (6 GP, 6 GS)</li><li><strong>GOAL: <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2012-03-31-la-v-ne/highlights?videoID=180878" target="_blank">Rowe opens MLS account against LA</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="http://fantasy.mlssoccer.com/" target="_blank">MLS Fantasy Soccer Manager</a>:</strong> 20 points, $6.0 million (13.7 percent owned)</li></ul> |
<strong>4</strong> |
<img alt="" height="40" src="//league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/arrow-up-with-shadow_1.png" width="40"> |
<strong>5</strong> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/Cascio.jpg" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;"><strong>Tony Cascio</strong> |
<p>After coming on as a sub against RSL – his first appearance off the bench this season – Cascio returned to the starting 11 in Seattle. He didn't pose much of a threat in an attacking sense, the Rapids were quiet as a whole, but helped stymie a potent Seattle attack, which would have had to settle for a point if not for a set-piece goal from Zach Scott.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong>Lost to Seattle 1-0 (83 min, 1 shot)</li><li><strong>This Week: </strong>Saturday vs. LA Galaxy (9 pm, <strong><a href="http://live.mlssoccer.com/mlsmdl/?utm_source=MLSsoccer&utm_medium=Article&utm_campaign=MLS%2BLive" target="_blank">MLS LIVE</a></strong>)</li><li><strong>Season Statistics:</strong> 1 G (6 GP, 5 GS)</li><li><strong>GOAL: </strong><strong><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2012-03-18-phi-v-col/highlights?videoID=179471" target="_blank">Cascio scores winner in Philly</a></strong><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2012-03-18-phi-v-col/highlights?videoID=179471" target="_blank"></a></li><li><strong><a href="http://fantasy.mlssoccer.com/" target="_blank">MLS Fantasy Soccer Manager</a>:</strong> 16 points, $6.1 million (7.1 percent owned)</li></ul> |
<strong>5</strong> |
<img alt="" height="40" src="//league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/arrow-up-with-shadow_1.png" width="40"> |
<strong>NR</strong> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/Urso.jpg" style="width: 55px; height: 55px;"><strong>Kirk Urso</strong> |
<p>After five games in MLS, it appears clear that 19 teams made a mistake passing on Urso in January's SuperDraft. The Crew rectified their mistake by taking the North Carolina midfielder in the Supplemental Draft, and he's responded with five starts while taking over most of the restart duties.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Week: </strong>Lost to Philadelphia 1-0 (90 min, 1 shot)</li><li><strong>This Week: </strong>Saturday vs. Houston (7:30 pm, <strong><a href="http://live.mlssoccer.com/mlsmdl/?utm_source=MLSsoccer&utm_medium=Article&utm_campaign=MLS%2BLive" target="_blank">MLS LIVE</a></strong>)</li><li><strong>Season Statistics:</strong> 1 A (5 GP, 5 GS)</li><li><strong>GOAL: </strong><strong><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2012-04-07-clb-v-ny/highlights?videoID=181546" target="_blank">Urso feeds Marshall from corner kick</a></strong><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2012-03-18-phi-v-col/highlights?videoID=179471" target="_blank"></a></li><li><strong><a href="http://fantasy.mlssoccer.com/" target="_blank">MLS Fantasy Soccer Manager</a>:</strong> 24 points, $4.9 million (18.2 percent owned)</li></ul> |
Also receiving votes: Sebastian Velasquez, Andrew Jean-Baptiste, Luis Silva, Casey Townsend, Andrew Wenger, Ethan Finlay, Raymon Gaddis
