Major League Soccer on Wednesday released the third installment of its four-part end of season award series, announcing Chivas USA’s Preki as Coach of the Year and Toronto FC’s Maurice Edu as Gatorade Rookie of the Year.
Edu this season was a consistent force in central midfield for last-place Toronto FC. He started all 25 of the matches in which he played, scoring four times and assisting once. After a series of steady performances, the defensive midfielder earned his first cap with the U.S. national team, starting in the 1-0 win against Switzerland last month. Edu was the first overall draft pick in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft.
A rookie himself, Preki this season led Chivas USA to first place in the Western Conference, the best finish in club history, only to bow out in the first round of the playoffs against his old team, Kansas City. Preki’s Chivas was just two points shy of D.C. United for the best record in the league. Coach of the Year is Preki’s third major individual MLS award: as a player he was voted MVP in 1997 and 2003.