Friday, November 12, 2004

 

LOS ANGELES - Major League Soccer announced its 2004 season award winners Friday afternoon. Former USL players Brian Ching, Robin Fraser and Dwayne DeRosario were among those honored.

Columbus Crew defender Robin Fraser capped a remarkable season in which he led his club to its first-ever Supporters Shield by winning the league's Defender of the Year award on Friday in Los Angeles. Fraser becomes the first Crew player ever to win the award, the first to win with two different teams -- he earned in the honor while with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 1999 -- and the second player to be named Defender of the Year twice. The Crew acquired Fraser in a trade with the Colorado Rapids this past offseason, and the 37-year-old MLS veteran played a huge role in transforming the Crew's mediocre defense of 2003 into one of the league's top units this season. The Crew finished the year tied for second in the league in goals allowed with 32, and notched 10 shutouts. The former A-League Colorado Foxes defender helped guide the team to back-to-back championships in 1992 and 1993 and was an All-League selection all six seasons (five First Team) before joining MLS in 1996.
Full story on MLSnet.com: http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20041112&content_id=18840&vkey=mlscup2004&fext=.jsp

San Jose Earthquakes forward Brian Ching was named MLS Comeback Player of the Year at the MLS Cup Media Luncheon on Friday in Los Angeles. He returned to tie for the MLS lead in goals this season following a ruptured Achilles tendon in August 2003 which kept him out the second half of the season. Ching tied with Dallas forward Eddie Johnson for the league lead in goals this season with 12, linking up with Earthquakes and national team strike partner Landon Donovan on an array of beautiful tallies. He also finished third in the Budweiser Scoring Leaders race with 28 points. That total led the Quakes and trailed only MetroStars playmaker Amado Guevara and New England's Pat Noonan in MLS. In addition to the 25-year-old's breakthrough with his club, Ching has made tremendous strides on the international level as well. The former Spokane Shadow forward was named the Premier Development League Rookie of the Year in 1998 and was drafted by the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2000. After spending some of 2000 and all of 2001 with the Seattle Sounders of the A-League, Ching returned to MLS with San Jose in 2002.
Full story on MLSnet.com: http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20041112&content_id=18847&vkey=mlscup2004&fext=.jsp

Dwayne De Rosario's wicked strike against D.C. United that seemed to defy gravity and never gave United 'keeper Troy Perkins a chance has been voted the Sierra Mist Goal of the Year by MLS fans on the league's official website, MLSnet.com. More than 25,000 votes were cast in the process which narrowed down all 30 Sierra Mist Goal of the Week winners, plus specially selected goals by team and league officials, to De Rosario's strike on Aug. 7 in San Jose. The Canadian international played two seasons with the A-League Richmond Kickers in 1999 and 2000 before moving to MLS.
Full story on MLSnet.com: http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20041112&content_id=18835&vkey=mlscup2004&fext=.jsp

The MetroStars' Amada Guevara was named Most Valuable Player Thursday. Details about his and the other awards handed out our available at:
http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/mls/events/mls_cup/2004/awards/