MLS has announced four more year-end award winners for 1998. Chicago Fire coach Bob Bradley is the All Sport Coach of the Year, and D.C. United midfielder Ben Olsen is the Bandai Rookie of the Year. In addition, Thomas Dooley of Columbus picks up the Snickers Fair Play Award and Paul Tamberino is the choice for the Umbro Referee of the Year. The All Sport Coach of the Year award is given to the coach judged by the media to have made the greatest contribution to his team during the regular season. Chicago’s Bradley captured the 1998 award after building the expansion Fire into a 20-win team that swept the two previous Western Conference champions in the playoffs. Bradley assembled a team of veteran Eastern Europeans, blended them with several domestic players that saw little time during MLS’ first two campaigns, and transformed the team into a squad which now has the unique opportunity to repeat D.C. United’s American “double,” when United captured both MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup title in 1996. Bradley was an assistant to Bruce Arena on that team, which also won MLS Cup ’97. “I’ve known Bob Bradley for a long time, and the Coach of the Year honor is a richly-deserved one,” said Arena, the 1997 All Sport recipient and one of three finalist this season, along with Los Angeles’ Octavio Zambrano. “Clearly his work ethic and influence on the Chicago Fire has resulted in an outstanding season both on and off the field for the organization. Competing for the MLS Cup is just another indication of why he’s most deserving of this award.” The Bandai Rookie of the Year award was captured by a member of Project-40, the joint player development venture shared by MLS and U.S. Soccer. D.C. United midfielder Ben Olsen appeared in 31 games for the two-time defending champions, starting 24, mostly on the right side. United changed from a 4-4-2 to a 3-5-2 to include the former University of Virginia star in the lineup, and Olsen responded by becoming the first Project-40 player to score an MLS goal on May 2, the first of his four goals and eight assists on the season. Olsen also scored two goals and added a pair of assists in United’s 8-0 Champions’ Cup quarterfinal win over Joe Public FC of Trinidad & Tobago. “Ben’s rookie year has been outstanding, and his contribution to our team has certainly exceeded our expectations,” said Arena. “I think Ben would be the first to credit his teammates for making his adjustment to professional soccer an easy one. Clearly, Ben will be a fixture at both D.C. United and the U.S. national team for years to come.” Olsen joins 1996 winner Steve Ralston and 1997 honoree Mike Duhaney as the player judged by MLS coaching staffs and general managers to be the best young performer who has no prior professional soccer playing experience and/or has completed his college/high school eligibility within the last year. Columbus’ Andy Williams and Chicago’s Project-40 forward Josh Wolff were finalists for the ’98 award. The Snickers Fair Play award consists of two honors, one for the individual player regarded as the league’s best sportsman, with a separate honor for the team which accrues a league low in caution points during the regular season. Columbus Crew defender Thomas Dooley, the captain of the Eastern Conference Finalist and the U.S. World Cup ’98 squad, captured the Snickers honor after receiving just two yellow cards in 23 games, while the Kansas City Wizards, who amassed just 147 caution points over 32 games, won the team award. 1998’s top MLS referee, Paul Tamberino, is honored with the Umbro Referee of the Year Award, succeeding fellow American Esse Baharmast, who won the inaugural award last season. The Umbro honor is awarded to the referee whose performance throughout the season is judged the best overall by MLS coaching staffs. Tamberino, a FIFA-accredited linesman, is a three-year veteran of MLS officiating, and is highly respected by coaches and players alike. “During the league’s first three years, Tamberino established open lines of communication between players, coaches, and referees, creating an atmosphere where skillful players can play with skill and referees can do their job,” said Dr. Joe Machnik, MLS Vice President of Game Operations. “Tamberino’s people skills on the field epitomize the nature of refereeing required in a professional league, where players come from different backgrounds. MLS looks forward to Paul’s continued contribution to the establishment of a consistent referee style within the league for years to come.”