Los Angeles Galaxy forward Landon Donovan and FC Dallas forward Eddie Johnson are two of the five nominees for the 2005 ESPY Award for Best Soccer Player. The pair will try to beat out Brazil and FC Barcelona midfielder Ronaldinho, U.S. women's national team legend Mia Hamm and German women's national team leader Brigit Prinz.
The winner of the award will be unveiled at the 13th annual ESPY Awards, which will be televised by ESPN and ESPN Deportes from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on July 17 at 9 p.m. ET. For the second time in the event's history fans will determine the winners in all categories by casting votes on ESPN.com. The online balloting has already begun and will run through July 7.
The nominees were selected by ESPN producers and industry-wide experts, and all players are nominated based on their performances during the 2004 calendar year. During that span, Donovan made 14 appearances for the U.S. national team, scoring five goals and adding five assists. He also appeared in 23 games during the 2004 MLS season for the San Jose Earthquakes and scored six goals and 10 assists.
Johnson had a breakout year in 2004, scoring five goals for the U.S. national team in his first three appearances, including a hat trick off the bench against Panama on Oct. 13. He also became the youngest player in MLS history to hold a share of the league lead in goals scored in a season with 12.
The 2005 ESPY Awards will be taped on July 13 and hosted by former "Friends" actor Matthew Perry. The Awards gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances. The ESPY Awards are committed to the advancement of The V Foundation for cancer research, established by ESPN with the late Jim Valvano and announced at the inaugural ESPY Awards in 1993.
Jonathan Nierman is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
