MLS Announces 2012 Awards Finalists
NEW YORK (Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012) – Major League Soccer today announced the finalists for its 2012 postseason awards. The winners for each award will be revealed in the coming weeks.
The finalists, listed in alphabetical order below for each award, earned the most votes in polling of three voting groups:
- Current MLS players
- MLS Clubs (Coaches, Technical Directors, Chief Business Officers and PR/Community Relations)
- Media members who covered MLS regularly in 2012
This season’s most outstanding individual plays will be honored on Thursday, Nov. 29 when the AT&T Goal of the Year and the Save of the Year are announced. Voting for the Goal and Save of the Year is conducted on the League’s official web site MLSsoccer.com.
The awards announcements conclude on Thursday, Nov. 29 with the unveiling of the 2012 Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable Player.
2012 Major League Soccer Awards Finalists
(Listed in alphabetical order by last name within each award category)
Rookie of the Year Finalists
Austin Berry (Chicago Fire)
Nick DeLeon (D.C. United)
Darren Mattocks (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
Xbox Individual Fair Play Finalists
Ante Jazic (Chivas USA)
Logan Pause (Chicago Fire)
Heath Pearce (New York Red Bulls)
Selected by MLS based on objective criteria such as fouls committed, cards received, games & minutes played, as well as subjective evaluation of sportsmanlike behavior.
Xbox Team Fair Play Finalists
Chicago Fire
Houston Dynamo
New England Revolution
Selected by MLS based on objective criteria such as fewest fouls committed, cards received, and on subjective evaluation of sportsmanlike behavior.
Defender of the Year Finalists
Victor Bernardez (San Jose Earthquakes)
Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City)
Aurelien Collin (Sporting Kansas City)
MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Year Finalists
Kei Kamara (Sporting Kansas City)
Michael Lahoud (Philadelphia Union)
Chris Seitz (FC Dallas)
Referee of the Year Finalists
Silviu Petrescu
Baldomero Toledo
Armando Villarreal
Assistant Referee of the Year Finalists
Ian Anderson
Gregory Barkey
Corey Parker
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)
Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year Finalists
Michael Gspurning (Seattle Sounders FC)
Dan Kennedy (Chivas USA)
Jimmy Nielsen (Sporting Kansas City)
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)
Awards Announcements Schedule:
Schedule subject to change
November 19: MLS Rookie of the Year, Xbox Fair Play Individual & Team of the Year
November 20: MLS Defender of the Year, MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Year, and Referee/Assistant Referee of the Year
November 26: 2012 MLS Best XI
November 27: MLS Coach of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year
November 28: Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year and Newcomer of the Year
November 29: AT&T Goal of the Year, MLS Save of the Year and Volkswagen MLS MVP
