PORTLAND, Ore.
– Portland Timbers midfielder
Diego Chara
, midfielder/forward
Darlington Nagbe
and midfielder
Rodney Wallace
were named finalists in their respective categories as Major League Soccer today announced the finalists for its 2014 awards. The winners for each award will be revealed in the coming weeks.
The finalists for each award earned the most votes in polling of current MLS players, MLS clubs and media members who regularly covered the 2014 season. Of the 12 award categories, Chara is one of three finalists for the MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year award, while Nagbe is up for the Xbox Individual Fair Play award. After missing half of the 2014 season while recovering from offseason knee surgery, Wallace is one of three finalists for the league’s Comeback Player of the Year award.
Chara, 28, is a finalist for the MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year award. One of Portland’s most dependable players, Chara registered two goals and an MLS-career-high five assists in 30 appearances (all starts) in his fourth MLS season. Chara contributed greatly to the Timbers community outreach efforts in 2014. He generously lent his time to numerous appearances and camps over the course of the season, participating in a variety of events and activities. Showing commitment to the Portland community through participation in the Somos Timbers Bilingual Reporter program, assistance at a number of soccer camps and speaking to a group of Latino families regarding the importance of education, Chara also spent time supporting his home in Colombia. He met with a group of Colombian coaches visiting Portland through the Mercy Corps Sport 4 Change program and, with the help of adidas, delivered Timbers kits to his local neighborhood teams while helping promote Mercy Corps programs in Bogotá. Defenders AJ DeLaGarza (LA Galaxy) and Zach Loyd (FC Dallas) are the other two finalists.
Nagbe, 23, the league’s second-most fouled player during the 2014 regular season, is a finalist for the Xbox Individual Fair Play award – which he won for the first time in 2013, when he was the most fouled player in MLS. The award is selected by MLS based on objective criteria such as fouls committed, cards received, games and minutes played, as well as subjective evaluation of sportsmanlike behavior. Nagbe, who appeared in 32 games (30 starts) for the Timbers while recording one goal and an MLS-career-high seven assists, is joined by defender Michael Parkhurst (Columbus) and midfielder Harrison Shipp (Chicago) as finalists.
Wallace, 26, is a finalist for the Comeback Player of the Year award after missing the first 16 regular-season matches of 2014 while recovering from offseason knee surgery. Wallace registered five goals and one assist in 17 appearances (12 starts) this season for the Timbers after successfully returning from a knee injury sustained in the 2013 MLS Western Conference Championship against Real Salt Lake on Nov. 24, 2013. Making his season debut on June 27 against Sporting Kansas City, Wallace appeared in 17 of the team’s 18 remaining regular-season matches, logging 1,058 minutes and tallying a brace on Oct. 4 against San Jose. Forward Charlie Davies (New England) and goalkeeper Stefan Frei (Seattle) join Wallace as finalists.
2014 Major League Soccer Awards Finalists
Volkswagen Most Valuable Player Finalists
Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy)
Obafemi Martins (Seattle Sounders FC)
Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution)
AT&T Rookie of the Year Finalists
Tesho Akindele (FC Dallas)
Steven Birnbaum (D.C. United)
Harrison Shipp (Chicago Fire)
Defender of the Year Finalists
Bobby Boswell (D.C. United)
Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy)
Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders FC)
Coach of the Year Finalists
Gregg Berhalter (Columbus Crew SC)
Ben Olsen (D.C. United)
Sigi Schmid (Seattle Sounders FC)
Comeback Player of the Year Finalists
Charlie Davies (New England Revolution)
Stefan Frei (Seattle Sounders FC)
Rodney Wallace (Portland Timbers)
Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year Finalists
Steve Clark (Columbus Crew SC)
Bill Hamid (D.C. United)
Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Newcomer of the Year Finalists
Stefan Ishizaki (LA Galaxy)
Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution)
Pedro Morales (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year Finalists
Diego Chara (Portland Timbers)
AJ DeLaGarza (LA Galaxy)
Zach Loyd (FC Dallas)
Xbox Individual Fair Play Finalists
Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers)
Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew SC)
Harrison Shipp (Chicago Fire)
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
LA Galaxy
Philadelphia Union
Real Salt Lake
Selected by MLS based on objective criteria such as fewest fouls committed, cards received, and on subjective evaluation of sportsmanlike behavior.
Referee of the Year Finalists
Mark Geiger
Jair Marrufo
Alan Kelly
Assistant Referee of the Year Finalists
Peter Manikowski
Paul Scott
Adam Wienckowski
Awards Announcements Schedule:
November 24:
AT&T Rookie of the Year, Xbox Fair Play Individual and Team of the Year
November 25:
MLS Defender of the Year, MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year, and Referee/Assistant Referee of the Year
December 2:
MLS Coach of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year and MLS Best XI
December 3:
Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Volkswagen MLS MVP
December 4:
AT&T Goal of the Year, MLS Save of the Year
*Subject to change
