Looks like NWSL has started their own end of season awards for media and coaches: http://www.nwslsoccer.com/home/747239.html I thought I'd start a thread of our own awards here on B.S. I was going to wait until the last regular season games were done but maybe now is as good a time as any. You guys can put in whatever you think or whoever you think deserves recognition. I believe we are the real fans who actually know what's going on over media people who may or may not go to games much less know the players and their names. Here's mine to begin: MVP - Lauren Cheney Holday - Hands down the best player in the league this year and def. the most valuable player for her team's success. Coach of the Year - Vlatko Andonovski - knew what players he wanted, got them. Coached the team the way a pro team should be coached. Played a pro system and made changes when needed. No screaming, rah, rah stuff on the sidelines with this guy, former professional-coaching professionals. Defender of the Year - Mariann Dougherty - Portland would be in worse shape without her. Loves to go up and make nice crosses. Love the way she plays. Should be on the USWNT, IMO. Goalkeeper of the Year - Adrianna Franch - Big reason why WNY Flash is in the playoffs. Made key saves throughout the year. Rookie of the Year - Erika Tymrak - This criteria is kids right out of college with no pro or semi-pro experience and Tymrak comes to mind right away. Goal of the Year - Lisa DeVanna's bicycle kick over Boston. By far the best. Most Exciting Player to Watch - Jessica Fishlock - This little dynamo is everywhere on the field with her short blond hairdo. I was at the first Reign/ Thorns game in Portland when they drew almost 17.000 fans. After scoring against Portland she runs toward the sidelines filled with Portland fans and gives them the fist clenched, arm curled up salute. The crowd goes wild. Now this is the beginning of a GREAT rivalry I said to the person sitting next to me. What an exciting player. Most improved Team - Seattle - Once Solo and Rapinoe came on board they started putting things together. Most Improve Player - Melissa Henderson - A personal preference of mine but she road the bench at the beginning but once was put on the field and even though has not scored much, has been a big factor for FCKC's success with her one touch passing and speed. Best fans - PORTLAND - no need to say anything else. Rock Solid, Tough as Nails Player of the Year - Jen Buczkowski - There is a reason why she plays just about every minute for every team, every coach she has ever played for. Unsung Hero - Tough as nails. FCKC would not be in 1st place without Jen Buczkowski, bank on it. Big Heart, Never Say Die Team of the Year - Chicago Red Stars - Do not have "stars", just gritty players that go after every 50/50 ball never stop running and never give up. Have come from behind several times this season to tie or win games. And BTW, who knows what they could have done with an extra 10 minutes at DC when they were sent home without being able to finish the game with play-off spot on the line. Big shame.
Well, I'm going to stick to the awards NWSL proposed. If we start making up awards on our own then I think we'll get all over the place with people tailoring awards to players/teams they want to recognize. (I mean, yes, everyone is giving props to Chicago for their heart, but it's not a "normal" award, and I'm a little scared to find out what our resident crazy-ideas-person might come up with...) Anyway: MVP : Holiday. No question. Honorable mentions: Matheson, Chalupny, Rapinoe DOY : Fuss. Chicago's back line stopped leaking goals and turned them into a playoff-calibur team when she came in. (And I haven't checked - is there another D in the league her 5pts (2G, 1A)?) Dougherty, Sesselmann GOY : Considering she'll probably pass 100 saves this weekend when only one other is even remotely close, (and maybe still get the best GAA in the league if results go the right way,) Franch. LeBlanc, Barnhart ROY : Although I don't like doubling up awards, the fact that Franch beat out all the other experienced keepers makes her a shoe-in here as well. Nairn, Quon, Tymrak COY : If Sky Blue hadn't tanked the last third of the season, this would be a two-horse race between Gabarra and Andonovski. As it is, it's not. I don't even give Gabarra an honorable mention now. Dames, Harvey, Lines BestXI : Oh geez.... I'm just going to name a full team of 23 - surprisingly NOT forward-heavy. GK - Franch, LeBlanc, Barnhart DF - Fuss, Dougherty, Sesselmann, Sauerbrunn, Salem, Foord, Rampone MF - Lloyd, Matheson, Fishlock, Rapinoe, Foxhoven, Scott, Tymrak, Mautz, Chalupny FW - Leroux, Holiday, De Vanna, Wambach
2013 NWSL Awards - Announcement Schedule: Monday, Aug. 19: Golden Boot (#NWSLGB) Not a vote...leader is Holiday (FCKC) and I think she holds off Leroux and Wambach. Tuesday, Aug. 20: Rookie of the Year (#NWSLROY) Tymrak (FCKC) over Franch by a whisker Wednesday, Aug: 21: Goalkeeper of the Year (#NWSLGOY) Barnhart (FCKC) although I could see Franch in a small upset. Barney never gets the respect she deserves. Thursday, Aug. 22: Defender of the Year (#NWSLDOY) Scott (FCKC)... everything FCKC does on defense revolves around Scott Monday, Aug. 26: Coach of the Year (#NWSLCOY) Lines (WNY Flash) ... not that Andonovski doesnt deserve it but Lines had a lot less to work with and if u flip flopped the teams Lines blows out the league. Tuesday, Aug. 27: MVP (#NWSLMVP) Holiday (FCKC) ... since the middle of May she has dominated this league. Wednesday, Aug. 28: Best XI (#NWSLBestXI) F Wamback (WNY), F DeVanna (SBFC), M O'Reilly (Breakers), M Scott (FCKC), M Holiday (FCKC), M Tymrak (FCKC), D Robinson (FCKC), D Doughety (PTFC), D Sauerbrunn (FCKC), D Rampone (SBFC), GK Barnhart (FCKC)
It's all good. You can put whatever you want. The leagues awards are your standard end of season awards. Cool. You can stick with those. But we discuss so much here and we have our own passions and what we like about the play this year that I thought maybe fun to add another one or two awards to this list. I believe Portland should be recognized as BEST FANS of the Year. That was an important story this year. In fact in my opinion, Portland's fan turnout and their enthusiasm IS THE STORY of NWSL 2013. Unsung players who are not flashy but are a ROCK that keeps the team together is an important recognition, IMO. Then there are awards that several people could easily get. For instance Defender of the Year I was debating whether to chose Dougherty or Sauerbrunn. Same with keeper Franch over LeBlanc, but was very close. Goal of the Year would easily be an ESPN award. So everything doesn't have to be the generic league stuff. My best 11: Morgan, DeVanna Holiday, Tymrak, Fishlock, Chalupny Sauerbrunn, Dougherty, Rampone, Whitehill Franch
if she is in the best 11, it's a popularity contest, not a performance vote. wambach and sydney were better. and during portland's hardest times, sinclair kept things together by moving to the mid-field. she just did't have a great season. good season shouldn't get you in the best 11.
I don't vote popularity but I still feel she scored goals when needed and was effective enough for a team that is in the playoffs who IMO would not be there if not for Morgan. I am not a Morgan "Cult of Personality" follower. I do like her though except when she whines. I think she is better then Sinclair.
Why I think Vlatko is Coach of the Year over Lines: I like Lines. He has done a tremendous job with the Flash. However, Vlatko Andonovski came into this league never coaching women, did not know the women talent out there and pretty much had to learn from scratch the women's game. And has done AMAZING! He has quickly put together a team of young, skilled, and fast soccer players and has coached them to 1st place. Lines has been in the women's game for many years and knows who is who. It was, IMO easier for Lines then Vlatko. Someone who knew very little about the women's game to do this well in his first year as Coach is a winner to me.
Good idea. Let's not give said individual any more motivation to come up with more dumbass ideas. A couple have more points- Brittany Taylor leads all defenders with 3 goals and 3 assists, and Jackie Santacaterina has 3 goals and 1 assist. Leigh-Ann Robinson has 5 assists, all but 1 of which have come against Portland. And I wouldn't exactly say Chicago has stopped leaking goals, since they've given up at least 3 goals in 4 of their last 7 games. Their GAA in the 6 games before the arrival of Fuss was 1.67. It dropped slightly to 1.53 in the 15 games Fuss has played. Anyhoo, here are my official picks for the end of season awards: Golden Boot- Holiday takes this one unless Sydney or Abby go on a scoring spree against each other. Rookie of the Year- I won't bitch one bit if Tymrak wins, as she is very worthy, but I'd give it to Franch. Franch was pretty much thrown into the fire right away at a much tougher position for a rookie, whereas Tymrak was given time to adjust to the pro level, and having Holiday to play next to was a big advantage. Goalkeeper of the Year- Had to go with Franch again. Barnhart has given up fewer goals, and has a slightly better GAA, but she doesn't have nearly as much to do as Franch sitting behind KC's stellar backline. Franch leads the league in saves with 92 and save percentage with 82%, facing a lot more shots than Barnhart does. Defender of the Year- Honestly, this one came down to a coin flip between Sauerbrunn and Taylor. Taylor won, but both are equally deserving. Coach of the Year- Andonovski. He did get one of the better allocations, but he picked the right players to surround his stars with. I still think they should have had a much lower place in the draft, but credit to him for getting both Mewis and Tymrak, who have both been vital in KC's late season surge. MVP- Anyone who doesn't pick Holiday is either completely blind or a total homer for their team. I can't think of anyone else who has been so vital to their team's success than her. Remember, stats don't lie. Best XI- Franch Robinson Sauerbrunn Taylor Williamson Tymrak Holiday Lloyd Rapinoe Wambach Ocampo That was hella hard picking only 11. So many players who were just as deserving got left out.
My best 11 (subject to change after this week's games) Franch Robinson, Sauerbrunn, Rampone, Dougherty Chalupny, Holiday, Scott, Matheson Wambach, Ocampo
Pending any standout performances this weekend... Golden Boot: TBD (Lauren Holiday, Sydney Leroux or Abby Wambach) Rookie: Erika Tymrak Goalkeeper: Adrianna Franch Defender: Brittany Taylor Coach: Aaran Lines (close winner over Vlatko Andonovski, who implemented the prettiest, most cohesive playing style in NWSL) Goal: Lisa DeVanna bicycle kick (runners' up: Lori Lindsey vs. Boston, Allie Long vs. Sky Blue, Sydney Leroux vs. Portland) MVP: Lauren Holiday Best 11: Franch; Robinson, Sauerbrunn, Taylor, Williamson; Scott, Tymrak, Matheson, Holiday; Leroux, O'Campo Subs (for 23-woman roster): Barnhardt, Whitehill, Barnes, Buczkowski, Salem, Lloyd, Fishlock, Freels, O'Reilly, Chalupny, Shim, Wambach Having left both Sinclair and Morgan off my "best 23," I feel compelled to explain. The two most hyped attacking stars at season's outset have largely disappointed, despite six and eight goals respectively. Sinclair, coming off a massive 2012 Olympics, has often looked tired, frustrated and a step slow. Morgan, too, failed to shine, struggling to keep her shots down and irritating fans with petulant on-field behavior (some of it provoked by opposing players, but she needs to rise above). They did not mesh well together. Each has undisputed talent, but I expected better. Pleasant surprises: Sahlen, E. Johnson, Lytle, Wetzel, Weimer, Huster (played out of position), Mathias, Mautz, Hoy, J. King
I also deliberated about Alex Sahlen, Joe's daughter and WNY President. IMO, she is up there with Most Improved Player. I like her a lot. She is the team's president and yet she is one of the hardest working players. I like people like that. A great success story. Good for you Alex!
Oh wow, I didn't know the GAA was so similar... it certainly felt like they improved. (And I can't believe I missed Jackie - for some reason, I thought she was a midfielder... )
To be fair, most of the goals conceded came in the 6 games after Hemmings got injured. Until that point, they were doing pretty well, averaging just over a goal per game with both Fuss and Hemmings in the lineup. I'll be the first one to admit I had doubts about Sahlen starting for the Flash, but those were slowly erased with her solid play. Other than the loss to Seattle, where she got repeatedly beaten like a mule by Rapinoe, she was doing a good job. It really sucks that she got injured.
NWSL has announced Sidney Leroux is eligible for Rookie of the Year honors. I believe I am sticking with my original pick, but thanks for the clarification. When will the NWSL actually announce something I am interested it?
If Leroux is eligible, then I imagine they're gonna pick her (I'm not saying whether I think she really deserves it or not). She's only 1 goal behind the lead for the golden boot. Impressive for a "rookie."
I think most would agree that Lauren Holiday should win MVP! She has really impressed. I wouldn't be surprised if some club in Europe comes a calling for her.
lol No, not that I know of. Seattle will have to make due with out her for the first half of season again. She loved her time over there in France.
Who in your opinion wins the Live Feed Best Commentators Award? Mine goes to Tom Glasgow and Leslie Galimore of the Seattle Reign Live Feed. I though they were knowledgeable, informative, gave good insights, were funny at times, had good hosts on and most of all pleasant voices to listen to. The worst thing, IMO other then a poor feed is annoying announcers with annoying voices or screaming into the microphone. Or announcers who don't know the name of players. Enjoyed this announcing team very much. BTW, also loved the techno song they played on the Seattle feed. Always left me upbeat and sometimes dancing after the game was over.
I agree on Seattle. They seem to have the best PbyP, the best analyst and the best production. They also put up a half time interview almost every game. My only complaint is Gallimore is a major apologist for her U'Dub players. Last night for example she gave Solo a pass for not sliding to block a shot because Seattle was out of the playoffs and excused Deines for getting lit up by Sinclair on the fact that she doesnt normally play fullback.
Golden Boot: Lauren Holiday Rookie: Adriana Franch. Reading other folks’ thoughts, I agree she ultimately added more value to her team than Tymrack or Leroux. Goalkeeper: Nicole Barnhart. She was the best keeper in the league this year. Period. Defender: Becky Sauerbrunn. Coach: Vlatko Andonovski. If winning were not a criterion, then Laura Harvey should get it. Goal: Lisa DeVanna bicycle kick MVP: Lauren Holiday Best 11: (4-4-2) Wiliamson, Sauerbrunn, Taylor, Rampone; Rapinoe, Sanderson, Matheson, Holiday; Wambach, Leroux CoachJon’s Bloody-Nose, Bruised-Shin, Sharp-Elbow, Never-Say-Die, Leave-it-all-on-the Field Players of the Year (alphabetically): Chalupny, Fishlock, Masar, Rapinoe, Sanderson, Scott, Stich, Wambach, Zerboni