Columbus Crew forward Brian McBride has won the 1998 MasterCard Goal of the Year award, beating out finalists Jaime Moreno of D.C. United and former Dallas Burn forward Damian Alvarez for scoring “the most dramatic and striking goal during the regular season.” McBride scored the award-winning goal in a 3-0 win over the Chicago Fire on July 9 at Ohio Stadium. His acrobatic side-volley came inside the box after he shook Chicago defender Francis Okaroh following a near-post run. McBride’s goal, which beat former Fire goalkeeper Scott Coufal, helped break Chicago’s 11-game winning streak. The 12 MLS teams nominated 94 goals for the year-end award, with a select 26 goals placed on a videotape and sent to a media panel, who then voted on what they considered 1998’s top three scores. Fans were able to view the top three goals via commercials on MLS playoff games on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. After viewing goals by the three finalists, MLS fans selected McBride via the league’s website at www.MLSNET.com. Voting for the award follows:
| Rank/Name | Team | Pct. |
| 1. Brian McBride | Columbus Crew | 63.85% |
| 2. Jaime Moreno | D.C. United | 23.82% |
| 3. Damian Alvarez | Dallas | 12.33% |