Dallas, Texas - U.S. Soccer announced its 2004 Chevy Athlete of the Year Awards for Male Athlete of the Year, Female Athlete of the Year, Young Male Athlete of the Year and Young Female Athlete of the Year. FC Dallas forward Eddie Johnson was named the U.S. Soccer 2004 Young Male Athlete of the Year.
Johnson, 20, earned the Young Male honor after a breakout year for both FC Dallas and the U.S. National Team. In his first year playing for the U.S. Men's National Team (MNT), he scored an incredible five goals across 61 minutes in his first three MNT caps, becoming just the second player in MNT history to accomplish such a feat. His hat trick in a 21-minute span of a 6-0 World Cup qualifying win over Panama on Oct. 13 marked the first by a sub in MNT history. A star at every level of the U.S. Youth National Team system, he also appeared in four matches for the U-23 MNT in CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying.
At the professional level with FC Dallas, Johnson tied for the MLS lead in goals with 12, becoming the youngest player in MLS history to either have or share the leading goal total. Among other MLS players, Johnson also ranked first in the league in game-winning goals (7), tied for first in multi-goal matches (3), tied for second in shots (75), tied for fifth in points (27) and tied for sixth in shots on goal (32).
Past U.S. Soccer Young Male Athletes of the Year include Freddy Adu (2003), Bobby Convey (2002), DaMarcus Beasley (2001), Landon Donovan (2000), Ben Olsen (1999) and Josh Wolff (1998).
U.S. Soccer named U.S. Men's National Team forward Landon Donovan as the 2004 Chevy Male Athlete of the Year and U.S. Women's National Team forward Abby Wambach as the 2004 Chevy Female Athlete of the Year. North Carolina forward Heather O'Reilly was named the Young Female Athlete of the Year.
