NEW YORK - With the conclusion of the MLS regular season on Sunday, New England Revolution forward Taylor Twellman claimed the Budweiser Golden Boot, awarded to the leading goal scorer during the MLS regular season. With 17 goals on the campaign (including none on penalty kicks), Twellman finished one goal ahead of D.C. United forward Jaime Moreno (16 goals) and five goals ahead of forwards Landon Donovan (12 goals) of the Los Angeles Galaxy and Jeff Cunningham (12 goals) of the Colorado Rapids.
Since coming to MLS at the start of the 2002 season, the 25-year-old Twellman has scored more goals than any other player in the League during that span, tallying 64 goals in 98 career regular season games. Only two players have scored more goals in any four-year span than the St. Louis, Missouri native: Roy Lassiter scored 73 goals from 1996-1999 and Raul Diaz Arce scored 69 goals, also from 1996-1999.
Twellman, the Honda Most Valuable Player of the 2005 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game, has re-emerged on the international scene with the U.S. National Team. He scored his first goal for the U.S. on Wednesday in a 2-0 World Cup Qualifying win over Panama at Gillette Stadium, home of the Revolution.
The 2005 Budweiser Golden Boot winner and his Revolution teammates face the MetroStars in the Eastern Conference Semifinals home-and-home series beginning on Saturday, October 22 at Giants Stadium. Three players have led the League in goals scored and gone on to win the MLS Cup title in the same year: Carlos Ruiz (LA - 2002), Roy Lassiter (D.C. United - 1999) and Jaime Moreno (D.C. United - 1997).
Top Goal Scorers in Each Season:
2005: 17 goals - Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution)
2004: 12 goals - Eddie Johnson (Dallas Burn); Brian Ching (San Jose Earthquakes)
2003: 15 goals - Carlos Ruiz (Los Angeles Galaxy); Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution)
2002: 24 goals - Carlos Ruiz (Los Angeles Galaxy)
2001: 19 goals - Alex Pineda Chacon (Miami Fusion)
2000: 26 goals - Mamadou Diallo (Tampa Bay Mutiny)
1999: 18 goals - Stern John (Columbus Crew); Roy Lassiter (D.C. United); Jason Kreis (Dallas Burn)
1998: 26 goals - Stern John (Columbus Crew)
1997: 16 goals - Jaime Moreno (D.C. United)
1996: 27 goals - Roy Lassiter (Tampa Bay Mutiny)
In a move to bring MLS in line with other leagues around the world, in 2005 the Budweiser Golden Boot replaced the Budweiser Scoring Champion - an award in place since the League's inception in 1996 which used a combination of goals scored (two points) and assists (one point) to determine the League's top scorer. Five of the nine Budweiser Scoring Champions also led the League in goals scored: Alex Pineda Chacon (2001), Mamadou Diallo (2000), Jason Kreis (1999), Stern John (1998) and Roy Lassiter (1996).
