NEW YORK - Major League Soccer (MLS) today announced the finalists for the 2006 year-end awards. Winners for each award will be announced in the coming weeks, beginning with the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and Kraft Global Fair Play winners on Thursday, Oct. 19. The Honda MLS Most Valuable Player will be announced on Thursday, Nov. 9 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, site of MLS Cup 2006, which is being played on Sunday, Nov. 12. The RadioShack Best XI will be announced at the MLS Awards Gala on Saturday, Nov. 11.
The finalists, listed in alphabetical order below for each award, earned the most votes in polling of MLS players, general managers, coaches, referees and members of the media. The U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year will be determined by the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Major League Soccer and MLS club representatives and will announced on Tuesday, Oct 24.
Awards Finalists
Gatorade Rookie of the Year Finalists
Mehdi Ballouchy - Real Salt Lake
Jonathan Bornstein - Chivas USA
Sacha Kljestan - Chivas USA
MLS Comeback Player of the Year Finalists
Chris Armas - Chicago Fire
Alecko Eskandarian - D.C. United
Richard Mulrooney - FC Dallas
Panasonic Goalkeeper of the Year Finalists
Joe Cannon - Colorado Rapids
Troy Perkins - D.C. United
Matt Reis - New England Revolution
Kraft Global Fair Play Finalists - Individual
Chris Klein - Real Salt Lake
Justin Mapp - Chicago Fire
Steve Ralston - New England Revolution
MLS Coach of the Year Finalists
Bob Bradley - Chivas USA
Peter Nowak - D.C. United
Dave Sarachan - Chicago Fire
MLS Defender of the Year Finalists
Bobby Boswell - D.C. United
Jose Burciaga Jr. - Kansas City Wizards
Jimmy Conrad - Kansas City Wizards
Honda MLS Most Valuable Player Finalists
Jeff Cunningham - Real Salt Lake
Dwayne De Rosario - Houston Dynamo
Christian Gomez - D.C. United
OSI Referee of the Year Finalists
Brian Hall
Michael Kennedy
Ricardo Salazar
Schedule of Awards Announcements:
Wednesday, October 18
Sierra Mist Goal of the Year voting begins on MLSnet.com
Thursday, October 19
Panasonic Goalkeeper of the Year
Kraft Global Fair Play Award (team and individual)
Tuesday, October 24
MLS Defender of the Year
MLS Comeback Player of the Year
OSI Referee of the Year
U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year
U.S. Soccer Foundation Team Humanitarian of the Year
Tuesday, October 31
Gatorade Rookie of the Year
MLS Coach of the Year
Monday, November 6
Announcement of MLS Team Executive Awards
Thursday, November 9
Honda MLS Most Valuable Player
Friday, November 10
Sierra Mist Goal of the Year
Saturday, November 11
RadioShack Best XI
