The Chicago Fire announced their annual team awards on Tuesday, with defensive midfielder Logan Pause earning most valuable player honors and C.J. Brown earning defender of the year accolades.
Pause and Brown are class acts and incredibly hard workers. But the team's voting -- which included a ballot submitted by ESPNChicago.com -- was a bit off
Pause edged out midfielder Patrick Nyarko for MVP, but Nyarko was the instant MVP selection from this reporter's perspective.
For much of the Fire's disappointing 2010 campaign, Nyarko was the versatile component who made things happen on the pitch. Before Freddie Ljungberg came into the picture, Nyarko was the backbone for the team's creativity and energy in a midfield that did not produce a whole lot.
Nyarko led the team with 10 assists, and he added a goal in the second half of the season.
Nyarko also managed to fend off concussion symptoms during the season after taking a knock against the Columbus Crew on July 3. Then he had an ankle problem and had to receive injections to battle through the rest of the campaign.
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