Every year bar one so far, the Major League Soccer MVP award has gone to a player prolific in tallying goals and assists. Only goalkeeper Tony Meola in 2000 bucked the trend when he helped the Kansas City Wizards win MLS Cup. Pat Walsh reckons it’s time to show a little more imagination in our nominees, rather than taking a glance at the stats table and picking whoever’s top.
Though Luciano Emilio won league MVP last year for his 20 goals, he wasn’t even the best player on the D.C. United team, writes Walsh. That accolade should have gone to Ben Olsen, whose “defensive work rate and leadership…drove D.C. to the Supporters’ Shield.”
Despite Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s stellar season at Columbus, the MVP case could be made for Chad Marshall, who “has led the defense of the best team in the league while also notching four goals and a pair of assists.” Meanwhile Brian Carroll “has done the dirty work in the midfield necessary for Barros Schelotto — and lately, Noonan — to work the offensive magic.”
Pablo Mastroeni has lead the Colorado Rapids’ late surge, while L.A. has sorely lacked a commanding defensive midfielder. Consistency at both Houston and New England has been built upon defensive midfielders Ricardo Clark and Shalrie Joseph respectively. “Teams that win need players that do the dirty work,” Walsh concludes. “Though they may not get the recognition, more often than not, they are more valuable than anyone else on the roster.”