http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/11/15/mls-announces-finalists-year-end-awards Defender of the Year Finalists Victor Bernardez (San Jose Earthquakes) Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City) Aurelien Collin (Sporting Kansas City) Coach of the Year Finalists Ben Olsen (D.C. United) Peter Vermes (Sporting Kansas City) Frank Yallop (San Jose Earthquakes) Comeback Player of the Year Finalists Alan Gordon (San Jose Earthquakes) Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders FC) Chris Pontius (D.C. United) Newcomer of the Year Finalists Victor Bernardez (San Jose Earthquakes) Michael Gspurning (Seattle Sounders FC) Federico Higuain (Columbus Crew) Volkswagen Most Valuable Player Finalists Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls) Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes) Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City) What's our chance winning these awards? For the other categories, is any SJ player missing? What's your take on the Referee award? Results will be announced on different days in the coming weeks.
Quakes are in position for a sweep!! "Comeback player" is always a difficult one to call, because "coming back from what?" Coming back from injury, coming back from sucking, coming back from Europe, coming back from vacation? What is it really?
If there is any justice at all in these awards (and there isn't, so I'm not holding my breath), then Wondo and Yallop are shoe ins. Bernardez should get either defender or newcomer, there's a good argument for both. Gordon ought to be comeback player of the year. He was injured last season. He's never been one of the top forwards in the league. So here he is, late in his career having a fantastic season. Yeah, comeback player of the year. BUT ... some of the tossers who vote on these things won't want to give the Quakes that much love. So maybe we don't get some of the awards that we should. GO QUAKES!! - Mark
Interesting that the injury recovered thug, Gonzalez, does not get mentioned. Maybe you have to have not finished, or played injured at the end of, the previous season to be considered.
I don't understand why Eddie Johnson is on the list for comeback player, unless coming back from total obscurity is under consideration...
Mark's assessment is spot on. I don't see how Wondo could not win MVP - the stats and performance speak for themselves. Yallop as coach of the year, yea, because of the turnaround and SS this year. Olsen is a good choice but not as strong. If Alan Gordon doesn't win Comeback player of the year it will be a travesty. Flat out travesty. Victor should definitely wrap up newcomer - for defender he has a solid case but the competition is stiff there.