BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Landon Donovan was selected Honda Player of the Year on Tuesday after leading the U.S. team to the quarterfinals of the World Cup. The 20-year-old forward/midfielder received 497 points in voting from 277 U.S. journalists who cover soccer. Brad Friedel finished second with 382 points, and Claudio Reyna, who won the award in 2000, was third with 274 points. Donovan also plays for Major League Soccer's San Jose Earthquake and helped lead them to the 2001 MLS championship in his first season with the team. Donovan became the youngest winner of the 12-year-old award, which goes to a member of the U.S. national team. He scored six goals at the World Cup, which ended for the United States with a 1-0 loss to Germany.
I read the real article and it says he scored two at the world cup and 6 goals in this YEAR for the national team. Not in the world cup. Just go to www.ussoccerplayers.com that's where i read it first
it's meaningless ... it's like being ranked no. 8 in the fifa rankings. nice window dressing, but that the end of the day it doesn't mean much. also, his play with the national team landon was as consistent as anybody this year. not a bad choice at all.
I wouldn't call it meaningless. The award has been established in the public eye as the designation of America's top soccer player. And while that portion of the public that follows soccer is still pretty small, it'll probably at least appear in the sports briefs sections of most papers. Now, I'm not sure I would have voted for LD in this, though it's a reasonable choice. I would've liked to see John O'Brien in the final three; I would have voted for him. Wonder what kind of Honda LD gets?
Fixed ESPN story... http://espn.go.com/soccer/news/2002/1008/1443080.html 277!!! Where are they all hiding???
seriously how could it not be fixed, I mean at times Friedal singlehandedly got our team through games. Why didn't he get it?
I think they took into consideration what Landon did for the sport here in the US. He brought a last place team to the championships, and he was on more talk shows and more magazines than any other player. He has been more of an ambassador to US Soccer than Friedel or Reyna. Plus, I believe that the award focuses on his playing from last fall until the end of the world cup, and he definitly exploded in the MLS playoffs and the World Cup. I think he deserved the award, I only wish he would start playing like that again real soon. Oh yeah and he gets a Honda Accord EX V-6 Sedan. Kinda shabby next to the beamer huh.
Pretty sure this isn't an MVP of the World Cup team award, and thus it takes much more into consideration than just WC performance. In which case I think the kid completely deserves it.
Would've liked to have seen Friedel get the nod for this honor. We could have heard that wonderful English accent he has going on.
Friedel had a good World Cup. He was, however, responsible for 1st goal against Poland. He was magnificent against South Korea. He was OK against Germany. LD just had a magnificent Cup. As did DMB, however, DMB's club play was not stellar this year, only good.
``What are you, 10?'' Friedel jokingly asked Donovan. `` http://sports.yahoo.com/m/sow/news/ap/20021008/ap-playerofyear.html Donovan voted U.S. soccer Player of Year By BETH HARRIS AP Sports Writer October 8, 2002 BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) -- Landon Donovan was selected Honda Player of the Year on Tuesday after leading the U.S. team to the quarterfinals of the World Cup. The 20-year-old forward-midfielder received 497 points -- including 74 first-place votes -- in balloting by 277 U.S. journalists who cover soccer. ``I feel bad, like the young guy shouldn't win,'' Donovan said after the presentation at the Beverly Hilton hotel. ``I'm really astonished,'' said Donovan, who received a new car and a trophy. Brad Friedel finished second with 382 points, and Claudio Reyna, who won the award in 2000, was third with 274 points. Donovan became the youngest winner of the 12-year-old award, which goes to a member of the U.S. national team. ``What are you, 10?'' Friedel jokingly asked Donovan. ``It's great for such a young player to win an award like this, especially since he plays in the United States where everyone can see him week in and week out.'' Donovan plays for Major League Soccer's San Jose Earthquakes and helped lead them to the 2001 MLS championship in his first season with the team. He scored two goals at the World Cup, which ended for the United States with a 1-0 loss to Germany. Overall, Donovan scored six goals this year for the American team. ``You can make a case for Brad or Claudio or a lot of guys on our team,'' Donovan said. ``I hope I have many years where I can be nominated and I hope they do too, but maybe not, so that's why I feel bad.'' Friedel, 31, played every minute of every game in goal during the World Cup. The former UCLA player traveled from England, where he plays in the Premier League, to attend the ceremony. ``Landon is going to have a tremendous career ahead of him,'' Friedel said. Reyna, 29, participated by telephone from England, where his wife is about to give birth to their second child. He is a five-time nominee. ------------ If Reyna's has a son in Germany; and his son becomes a soccer god when he grows up...would he be able to play for the US Nats?
I'm wondering that too. As for Friedel...if it's based on what you do for the Nats, Brad didn't really have a shot at this one. He didn't play in the Gold Cup, where Landon played wonderfully. Whomever you think our World Cup MVP is, Landon was the only player among the serious candidates who contributed in the Gold Cup...and he contributed aLOT. If someone had been our hands-down MVP in the World Cup, then maybe you could give it to that player. But there were a half-dozen "candidates," and to me, the Gold Cup would have to be the tiebreaker.
Re: ``What are you, 10?'' Friedel jokingly asked Donovan. `` Reyna is American. Thus his son is American.
Did anyone else see John Anderson -- on Sportscenter yesterday -- just laugh about this award? All's fair, but this is a kid who's worked pretty hard to achieve this recognition. I wonder if the reaction would have been the same for the most outstanding women's volleyball player of the year. Even for me, the derogatory smirk from the mainstream press is getting pretty old.