Besler Named MLS Defender of the Year

MLS announced today that Sporting KC defender, Matt Besler had won the league's Defender of the Year Award.  Besler finished with 70.51 of the weighted total, winning 46.97% of the media vote, 10.35% of the club vote, and 13.19% of the player vote to top Victor Bernardez who finished with 64.39 (15.15% media, 32.76% club, 16.48% players).  The media vote carried Besler as he ran away on that vote, but finished second 3rd in club voting, and second among player votes.  The KC native was a rock for KC, starting 30 of the 34 games this year, and helping to anchor one of the best defenses in league history.  His steady play allowed Aurelien Collin to be the more flashy of the two centerbacks, allowing him to attack the ball more.  Besler becomes the third KC player to win the award after Peter Vermes in 2000 and Jimmy Conrad in 2004, and absolutely deserving award for a player who has worked his ass off to get to this point. His play should absolutely get him more looks from Jurgen Klinsmann for the US national team in the coming year.

Besler's center back partner, Aurelien Collin, finished a distant 3rd with 48.13 (13.64% media, 22.41% club, 12.08 player). 

In other awards news today, Kei Kamara finished second in the voting for Humanitarian of the Year behind Chris Seitz.  Seitz won the award in a land slide after giving bone marrow during the season to help a leukemia patient.  It feels awkward to call in a land slide because all the finalist are doing amazing work from Sietz to Kamara to Michael Lahoud, the other finalist.  Seitz got 38.89% of the club vote, 60% of the media vote, and 21.35% of the player vote.  Compared to Kamara, the second place finisher who got 9.26% from clubs, 8.33% from media and 7.87% from players.  The vote wasn't close.

Six Candidates for Year End Awards for Sporting

MLS announced the finalists for their year end awards today, and Sporting KC is well represented among the finalists, as 5 players and head coach Peter Vermes are up for awards. 

Graham Zusi is a finalist for MVP this year, along with Chris Wondolowski of San Jose and Thierry Henry of New York.  Unfortunately for Zusi I don't think this will be much of a contest, Wondolowski should win the award going away for the season he had.  Zusi is a completely deserving finalist for his 5 goals and 15 assists in league play this year.  Henry is really only on the list because of name recognition of people that vote but don't really pay attention to the league.  The MVP award will be announced on November 29th.

Jimmy Nielsen is a finalist for goalkeeper of the year.  Sporting's captain finished one shutout short of tying the league record set by Tony Meola in 2000 of 16.  Nielsen is up against Seattle goalkeeper Michael Gspurning and Chivas USA's Dan Kennedy.  Gspurning missed a good portion of the season due to injury which hurts his case for the award.  And while Kennedy had an amazing season, it wasn't enough to keep Chivas from looking extremely poor this year.  Nielsen finished with a .79 goals against average, behind Gspurning's, but Nielsen has played 10 more games than the Seattle net minder.  Really this should be Nielsen's award.  Goalkeeper of the year is announced on November 28th.

Peter Vermes is a finalist for coach of the year.  Leading Sporting KC to a team record in wins (18) and points (63) in a season and to the team finishing on top of the East for the second straight year.  Vermes is up against Frank Yallop who led the Supporter Shield winning San Jose side that finished 3 points ahead of KC in the standings, and Ben Olsen who has helped to resurrect DC United finishing second in the East and into the playoffs for the first time in 5 years.  The winner is announced on November 27th.

Kei Kamara is a finalist for Humanitarian of the year.  Kamara has done a ton of work in the past year to help his home country, Sierra Leone.  He's helped with getting schools built and has set up the HearShapedHands Foundation.  Kamara is up against Michael Lahoud of the Union who has also done work to help Sierra Leone, and Chris Seitz, who recently missed a good number of games after giving bone marrow.  The winner will be announced on the 20th.

The final award that KC has players up for may be the most interesting.  KC has two finalists up for the defender of the year award.  Matt Besler and Aurelien Collin are both finalists along with Victor Bernardez of San Jose.  Besler and Collin helped to anchor the league's best defense this year.  Besler started 30 of the 31 games he played while Collin started 28 of the 29 he played in.  The one worry I have about this award is that voters may split their vote between Besler and Collin, leading to Bernardez winning the award instead.  While Collin had a decent season, this award really should go to Besler who has had a fantastic season, really establishing himself as one of the league's better defenders and pushed himself onto the national team radar.  The winner will be announced on the 20th.

As a whole I think KC has a very good shot at winning 3 of the 5 awards, the two exceptions being MVP which I think will go to Wondolowski and coach, which I think Yallop will win this year.  The other 3 I think KC can and should win, the one worry again is the defender of the year vote being split between the two.

Conrad Misses Out on Year End Award

Today MLS handed out more of their year end awards, including their Humanitarian of the Year. Wizards defender, Jimmy Conrad was nominated for the award along with Seth Stammler and Brian Ching. Unfortunately Conrad did not win the award today. Instead the award went to Stammler of the New York Red Bulls. Stammler won the award for his work after founding the Sporting Chance Foundation, and working to help out in Haiti. Congratulations to Stammler on the award.

Conrad Up for Year End Award

Wizards defender, Jimmy Conrad is up for one of MLS' year end awards this year. Conrad was named one of the 3 finalists for the MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Year. Conrad is up against Houston Dynamo forward Brian Ching and New York midfielder, Seth Stammler. Conrad's accomplishments this year include continuing his work with the Autism Speaks organization, he's also a player ambassador for the Child Protection Center, he's also served on the KC Zoo Board, the Boys and Girls Club, and finally he was the Wizards player representative for the Pepsi Refresh Project to improve Belvidere Park which took second place in the voting and won $25,000 for the project.

Conrad Named Humanitarian of the Year

Wizards captain, Jimmy Conrad has been named Co-MLS Humanitarian of the Year along with Chicago Fire midfielder Logan Pause. Conrad had won the award for his work being a spokesperson for Athletes Against Autism and the Child Protection Center. He's also helped with the UN's Nothing but Nets campaign. Congratulations to Conrad on winning the award, yet another award to add to his long list of awards he's earned in his career.