Keller, Schmid, Rosales Finalists For Individual Awards

by Dave Clark on Nov 7, 2011 3:09 PM PST in Sounders: News

Does Kasey Keller get one last award to end his brilliant career?

MLS announced the finalists for individual awards today. Three Seattle Sounders graced the lists. Coach Sigi Schmid will battle the only coach with a better regular season record (Bruce Arena) and a worst to first performance by Peter Vermes in Kansas City. There is no surprise to see Kasey Keller on the keeper short list with Kevin Hartman and Faryd Mondragon (maybe surprising). Mauro Rosales is joined by Luke Rodgers and Eric Hassli as Newcomer of the Year finalists.

All three Sounders will wait until next week on November 14th and 15th. There may be a precursor of the vote on Thursday the 10th when the MLS Best XI of 2011 is announced. Vote splitting should not have hurt minor MVP candidates like Fredy Montero and Osvaldo Alonso in that round of individual recognition. Though several players were mentioned as potential MVP candidates, by having so many contributors no Sounder makes that list.

Competing for the MVP will be Brad Davis, Brek Shea and Dwayne De Rosario.

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WTF!??

So I went to the league’s website and discovered that Kevin Stott is one of three finalists for Referee of the Year. My brain hurts.

by Abbott Smith on Nov 7, 2011 4:00 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

they must be trolling.

by Aasenb on Nov 7, 2011 4:10 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs

BS

Brad Davis, Brek Shea and Dwayne De Rosario.

Brek Shea does not belong in that list. Beckham should have been. It really comes down to Davis and Beckham who represent the one sure fire way to score goals in the backwater MLS. It’s no fluke those teams are in the final and neither team would be without those two guys.

I bet DDR wins. :|

by Ryan R Ray on Nov 7, 2011 4:07 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

Not to pick on you but this slating on MLS is getting really old.

It is what it is, and what it is is a pretty decent league that’s come a long way in the last 5 years or so. The improvement shows no sign of slowing down. I do not understand this desire to tear down the league, but it’s incredibly annoying.

by Aaron Campeau on Nov 7, 2011 4:48 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

OK

I shouldn’t have use the term “backwater.” I’m super disappointed with the Houston vs LAG matchup. I expected it but I didn’t want it. In a perfect world it would have been two creative teams that play the beautiful game. Instead we have one team that specializes in counter attack, and making runs before diving and setting up a set piece specialist and one team that drags the game down to a physical foul fest where they capitalize on fouls to set up set pieces.

There is something wrong with the MLS as this type of play is associated with sides in other leagues that DON’T win all the time.

by Ryan R Ray on Nov 7, 2011 6:35 PM PST up reply actions

I understand the frustration.

But I think that Houston being in the final is a side effect of the crapshoot nature of the MLS Cup playoffs, which is a huge problem. But that’s also how you end up with England sending Birmingham City and Stoke City to the Europa League; those aren’t great teams but they’re teams that play a style that makes them capable of beating any other team on the right day, just like Houston.

I think you’re being harsh on LA though; they bunker and counter and a lot of their goals come from set pieces, sure. But a lot of really, really good teams the world over use similar approaches. Pretty much every team Jose Mourinho has ever coached has used the same basic tactical approach, albeit with loads more talent and more sophisticated tactical system. Still, LA is the best team in the league because they’re really, really good. They allowed just 25 goals this season, and that’s not simply a function of them playing deep. They get a number of goals thanks to Beckham’s delivery, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking advantage of set piece opportunities. They may not be the most thrilling team in the league to watch, but I don’t find them especially cynical or dirty and the style they play suits their personnel. That’s just good coaching.

by Aaron Campeau on Nov 7, 2011 6:57 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

one more reason Supporters' Shield > MLS Cup

I’ll admit, I’ve only been following the MLS since it was invented in 2009. Is it more likely that teams that play more skilled football have a better chance of winning the Supporters’ Shield than MLS Cup, whereas the physical, less skilled teams like Houston are more likely to win the MLS Cup and less so the SS?

Either way I’d still rather see the Sounders put together an awesome 34 game season and take second in the SS race than win the crapshoot 10 game single elimination tourney like the MLS Cup. I might even prefer third in the SS to the MLS Cup,

by PhootieD on Nov 7, 2011 7:19 PM PST up reply actions

I haven't always been impressed with Beckham's MLS work

But got some really good work in last night. The (seemingly) big pitch at Home Depot Center seems to open up a lot of space for longer passing. I actually wish the league had more experts at delivering free kicks (in that way it’s kind of a waste that Donovan and Beckham are on the same team, I think Donovan is better than most in the league at that), since it would punish teams for fouling, which is the best disincentive for physical/cynical play.

by ubelmann on Nov 7, 2011 8:09 PM PST up reply actions

He's been pretty good this season

by Aaron Campeau on Nov 7, 2011 8:13 PM PST up reply actions

Shea and Davis yes, De Rosario no

What value did De Ro add to any of his three teams? Two finished 11th or lower in a 18 team league and the other finished 10th.

Best individual performance, maybe, most valuable, definitely not.

by PhootieD on Nov 7, 2011 5:28 PM PST reply actions

DC United fans have had pretty much universally good things to say about DeRo, from what I can tell

It’s possible to be a really valuable player on a bad team that doesn’t win many games. DCU had a ton more goals scored this year, it’s just that there defense didn’t improve. I don’t think you can really chalk that up to DeRo, given that he’s an offensive player and given how inexperienced DCU’s backline was. In the time after DCU acquired DeRo and before Pontius was injured, they went 4-2-4. If DCU keeps DeRo and does anything to improve their defense, they could be a pretty good team next year.

Is he the most valuable player in the league? I don’t know. I tend to think that question is unanswerable.

by ubelmann on Nov 7, 2011 8:19 PM PST up reply actions

If you swapped Brad Davis for DeRo would Toronto have finished any higher?

They and DC had a lot of problems. New York was higher in the standings with DeRo there than after he left.

I think it’s unfortunate that to be eligible for MVP you have to play on a team that’s already good enough to be a playoff contender.

Nos Audietis

by sidereal on Nov 7, 2011 9:49 PM PST up reply actions

No more unfortunate than having 3 MVP candidates on the same team

negates the chances any of them will win the award. Montero, Rosales and Alonso should all be legit candidates for the MVP award, but none make the final cut.

by PhootieD on Nov 7, 2011 10:12 PM PST up reply actions

While I think Montero is MVP caliber

I think the majority of the sports world sees him as too streaky. I’m betting that’s why he didn’t get the nod. I’m having second thoughts on DeRo, he’s the only guy with double digits in scoring and assists, both are very impressive numbers. Raw scoring alone isn’t gonna save your team when you have a terrible defense. I think if DC had made the playoffs he’d be the frontrunner.

by chrisperry1983 on Nov 8, 2011 7:18 AM PST up reply actions