NEW YORK – Landon Donovan and Thierry Henry might be on their way out of Major League Soccer, but not without one last bit of individual recognition.
Both Donovan and Henry were named to Major League Soccer’s annual Best XI squad on Tuesday, placing them once again among the league’s elite even as they walk away from MLS.
MLS players, club leadership and media members voted one goalkeeper, three defenders, four midfielders and three forwards to the Best XI (the second consecutive season voting has resulted in a 3-4-3 formation), with four newcomers to the team this year.
The Best XI selection is the seventh of Donovan’s storied career, breaking a tie with MLS veteran Dwayne De Rosario for the most of any player in league history. Donovan enjoyed one of his best seasons statistically in 2014, finishing the regular season with 10 goals and a career-high 19 assists as the LA Galaxy finished second in the Western Conference and narrowly missed winning the Supporters’ Shield for best regular-season record.
Donovan and the Galaxy will host the New England Revolution in the MLS Cup final at StubHub Center on Sunday (3 pm ET; ESPN, UniMas, UDN in the US | TSN1, RDS2 in Canada) in Donovan’s final game as a professional. In August, he announced his plans to retire following the season.
Henry, meanwhile, announced on Monday that’ll be leaving the New York Red Bulls after more than four memorable years in the Big Apple. He earned his third Best XI selection by scoring 10 goals and adding 14 assists for the Red Bulls, who reached the postseason every year Henry was on the roster.
Henry was also named to the Best XI in 2011 and 2012.
Galaxy striker Robbie Keane is also on the list for the third consecutive season after posting the best numbers of his four-year MLS career. The Irish international scored 19 goals and added 14 assists in 29 regular-season games and will find out Wednesday if he has been chosen as the Volkswagen MLS MVP.
The other two finalists for the league’s MVP award also made the Best XI: New England playmaker Lee Nguyen and Seattle Sounders forward Obafemi Martins.
Nguyen enjoyed a career resurrection in 2014 and became one of the most influential players in the league, leading all MLS midfielders with 18 goals. His breakthrough year with the Revs earned him his first appearance with the US national team in seven years in October, and he becomes the first Revolution player to make the Best XI since Shalrie Joseph in 2009.
Martins, meanwhile, finished with 17 goals and 13 assists during the regular season and led the Sounders to their first Supporters’ Shield in club history. This is his first Best XI selection, and he is the first African-born player to make the team since Senegalese striker Mamadou Diallo in 2000.
Martins is joined on the team by Sounders center back and Defender of the Year Chad Marshall, who makes the Best XI for the third time in his career (2008, 2009). Marshall appeared in 31 games this season for the Sounders, scoring one goal and tying a career high with three assists.
The other defenders are also repeat selections for the Best XI: LA Galaxy center back Omar Gonzalez (fourth selection) and D.C. United center back Bobby Boswell (second selection).
Gonzalez now joins legendary MLS defenders Eddie Pope, Jimmy Conrad and Robin Fraser as the only defenders with four or more selections to the Best XI team, while Boswell is back on the list for the first time since 2006 after he led D.C. United to the best record in the Eastern Conference during the regular season.
Goalkeeper Bill Hamid also earned his first Best XI selection after anchoring the D.C. United backline and posting 14 wins and 10 shutouts this season, both career highs. Hamid is the first Homegrown Player in league history to be named to the Best XI; the program allowing clubs to develop and sign local players began in 2008.
Midfielder Diego Valeri is back in the Best XI for the second consecutive season after he scored 11 goals and added 14 assists for the Portland Timbers, who narrowly missed a playoff berth. He is the only player from a non-playoff team to make the Best XI.
Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips rounds out the team with his first career Best XI selection after tying the league’s regular-season scoring record with 27 goals this season.
The trio of Keane, Martins and Wright-Phillps marks the first time the Best XI did not feature an American forward since 2007.
Notable omissions from this year's team include Toronto FC midfielder and US national team regular Michael Bradley, Seattle Sounders forward and US captain Clint Dempsey, Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman and Seattle Sounders midfielder Osvaldo Alonso. Sporting Kansas City's tandem of defender Matt Besler and midfielder Graham Zusi were left off the team for the first time in three seasons.
The Galaxy now lead all MLS teams with 32 selections in their history, followed by D.C. United (26).
2014 MLS Best XI:
<h2 style="margin:0;">Bill Hamid</h2><p style="margin:8px 0;font-weight:bold;">Goalkeeper - D.C. United</p>
A finalist for the Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year, Hamid ranked among league leaders in shutouts (10), saves (110), goals against average (1.13) and finished with the year with the best save percentage (75 percent). The U.S. international set career highs in both shutouts and saves and logged the most minutes of his career with 2,700 for D.C. United. Hamid was also named to his first MLS All-Star team in 2014, becoming the first Homegrown goalkeeper to do so. This is his first MLS Best XI selection. |
<h2 style="margin:0;">Chad Marshall</h2><p style="margin:8px 0;font-weight:bold;">Defender - Seattle Sounders FC</p>
In his first season with Seattle, Marshall became the first player in league history to be named MLS Defender of the Year for the third time after winning back-to-back honors in 2008 and 2009 while with the Columbus Crew. This year, Marshall anchored a Seattle defense that captured its fourth Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title and first MLS Supporters’ Shield championship, while recording one goal and three assists. Marshall led the league with 136 interceptions and recorded 126 headers won, 206 clearances and an 83-percent passing accuracy. This is Marshall’s third MLS Best XI selection. |
<h2 style="margin:0;">Bobby Boswell</h2><p style="margin:8px 0;font-weight:bold;">Defender - D.C. United</p>
A finalist for Defender of the Year, Boswell was the backbone of D.C. United’s resurgence in 2014, which saw the club finish first in the Eastern Conference after a last-place finish the year before. Boswell’s veteran leadership helped D.C. United post 12 shutouts, allow the fewest goals at home and finish the season tied for the league's lowest goals against average (1.09). This is his second MLS Best XI selection. |
<h2 style="margin:0;">Omar Gonzalez</h2><p style="margin:8px 0;font-weight:bold;">Defender - LA Galaxy</p>
A finalist for Defender of the Year, Gonzalez was vital for both the US men’s national team and LA Galaxy in 2014. In addition to logging 180 minutes at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Gonzalez anchored a Galaxy defense that recorded 10 shutouts and tied D.C. United for the fewest number of goals allowed with 37. The 6-foot-5 center back also notched four goals and two assists on the year. This is his fourth MLS Best XI selection. |
<h2 style="margin:0;">Lee Nguyen</h2><p style="margin:8px 0;font-weight:bold;">Midfielder - New England Revolution</p>
A finalist for Volkswagen MLS MVP, Nguyen had a breakout season that saw him set an MLS career high of 18 goals, the fourth highest total in the league and most among midfielders. He added five assists, which tied him for second-best for New England. This is his first MLS Best XI selection. |
<h2 style="margin:0;">Landon Donovan</h2><p style="margin:8px 0;font-weight:bold;">Midfielder - LA Galaxy</p>
Donovan’s final MLS season was arguably his finest, headlined by his 10 goals and league-leading 19 assists. On May 25, Donovan became MLS’ all-time leading scorer, surpassing Jeff Cunningham’s mark of 134. Donovan now holds the all-time goals record with 144 regular-season tallies, as well as the all-time regular-season assists record with 136 helpers. This is his seventh Best XI selection, the most by any player in MLS history. |
<h2 style="margin:0;">Diego Valeri</h2><p style="margin:8px 0;font-weight:bold;">Midfielder - Portland Timbers</p>
Valeri captured Newcomer of the Year honors and a Best XI bid in his MLS debut last year, and he followed that up with an even stronger sophomore season. The Argentine set Timbers MLS single-season record marks in goals (11) and assists (14) in 33 appearances for the Cascadia club this year, while his 14 helpers ranked second in MLS. This is his second MLS Best XI selection. |
<h2 style="margin:0;">Thierry Henry</h2><p style="margin:8px 0;font-weight:bold;">Midfielder - New York Red Bulls</p>
In his last season in MLS, Henry showed no signs of slowing down, instead turning in a stellar fifth season with the New York Red Bulls. Henry recorded MLS career highs in starts (30), minutes (2,651) and assists (14) – many of which helped etch teammate Bradley Wright-Phillips into the history books as the Englishman tied the all-time single-season goal record with 27 tallies. Henry’s shift to left midfield late in the year proved invaluable for New York, with his five assists in five postseason matches helping lead the Red Bulls to finish runners-up in the Eastern Conference Championship. |
<h2 style="margin:0;">Robbie Keane</h2><p style="margin:8px 0;font-weight:bold;">Forward - LA Galaxy</p>
A finalist for the Volkswagen MLS MVP award for the second consecutive year, Keane enjoyed his most prolific season with the LA Galaxy. Keane set MLS career highs in goals scored with 19 and assists with 14, placing him third and tied-for-second in the league, respectively. The Irish international also led all players in game-winning assists with six on the year. Keane became the world's leading active goalscorer in international play upon Miroslav Klose’s retirement in August. This is his third consecutive MLS Best XI selection. |
<h2 style="margin:0;">Bradley Wright-Phillips</h2><p style="margin:8px 0;font-weight:bold;">Forward - New York Red Bulls</p>
Wright-Phillips made quite the impression in his first full season in MLS, with the Red Bulls striker tying the MLS single-season goals record. The Englishman’s 27-goal campaign will go down as one of the most spectacular the league has ever seen, with Wright-Phillips registering six multi-goal games — including three hat tricks — in 32 appearances. This is his first MLS Best XI selection. |
<h2 style="margin:0;">Obafemi Martins</h2><p style="margin:8px 0;font-weight:bold;">Forward - Seattle Sounders FC</p>
A finalist for the 2014 Volkswagen MLS MVP award, Martins’ electrifying speed and scoring touch propelled the Seattle Sounders to their fourth Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title and first Supporters’ Shield. In his second season with the Sounders, Martins led the club in goals (17) and assists (13) after forging a dynamic partnership with fellow forward Clint Dempsey. The Nigerian finished the season fifth in the league in both goals and assists, while the Sounders went 12-0 in games where Martins scored a goal. |
