Seattle Sounders FC set the record for the best half of any team in MLS history with (14-2-1) second-half run that propelled the team to an improbable second place finish in the Western Conference and a first-round bye. While the effort was no doubt a collective effort, MLS singled out the contributions of three Rave Green players as the catalyst for the incredible second-half run.
On Wednesday afternoon Major League Soccer announced the nominations of Chad Marshall ( MLS Defender of the Year ), Stefan Frei (Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year), and midfielder Osvaldo Alonso for the MLS Comeback Player of the Year.
DEFENDER OF THE YEAR CHAD MARSHALL
Marshall, the only three-time MLS Defender of the Year in league history, anchored a defensive unit that ranked second in the league in fewest goals allowed (37). He matched a career high and was tied for second among MLS defenders with four goals, including one match-winning marker.
On October 21 at Houston, he became just the fourth player – and second field player – in league history to appear in 400 games and pass the 35,000 minutes-played mark. Marshall currently ranks second all-time among outfield players with 396 career starts and 35,123 minutes played, trailing only Kyle Beckerman in both categories.
STEFAN FREI – ALLSTATE MLS GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
Frei enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career in 2018, posting career highs in goals against average (1.03) and saves (114). He set a new franchise record with his 114 saves, which rank tied for fifth in MLS. Frei’s 1.03 goals against average was second in the league among goalkeepers with at least 15 games played.
The veteran was tied for third in MLS in goalkeeper wins with 18, and he recorded a 290-minute shutout streak from July 15-July 29. Frei posted nine consecutive wins from July 21-September 15, the longest stretch in league history in the post-shootout era (since 2000). On June 13 at the Supporters’ Shield-winning New York Red Bulls, Frei established a single-match club record with 11 saves.
OSVALDO ALONSO – MLS COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
After battling injury in the 2017 postseason and again in the early portion of 2018, Alonso’s presence was felt more than ever for the Rave Green this season. Seattle was 14-5-2 in the 21 matches he started in midfield, with his return to form bolstering a single-season MLS record of nine consecutive wins.
For players that have logged at least 500 minutes, Alonso is first in MLS in passing accuracy (92.11 percent), while Seattle has allowed just 21 goals with him on the field as a starter.
Alonso has also recorded 38 tackles won, 135 duels won and 24 interceptions. Now in his 10th season with Seattle, Alonso is the club’s captain and the only remaining original member of its 2009 expansion season squad.
2018 MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER AWARDS FINALISTS
(Listed in alphabetical order by last name within each award category)
LANDON DONOVAN MLS MVP
Miguel Almirón (Atlanta United)
Zlatan Ibrahimović (LA Galaxy)
Josef Martínez (Atlanta United)
Wayne Rooney (D.C. United)
Carlos Vela (Los Angeles Football Club)
MLS DEFENDER OF THE YEAR
Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls)
Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders FC)
Michael Parkhurst (Atlanta United)
MLS ALLSTATE GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
Stefan Frei (Seattle Sounders FC)
Luis Robles (New York Red Bulls)
Zack Steffen (Columbus Crew SC)
MLS NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Zlatan Ibrahimović (LA Galaxy)
Wayne Rooney (D.C. United)
Carlos Vela (Los Angeles Football Club)
MLS COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders FC)
Zlatan Ibrahimović (LA Galaxy)
Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew SC)
MLS AT&T ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Corey Baird (Real Salt Lake)
Mark McKenzie (Philadelphia Union)
Chris Mueller (Orlando City SC)
MLS COACH OF THE YEAR
Bob Bradley (Los Angeles Football Club)
Gerardo “Tata” Martino (Atlanta United)
Peter Vermes (Sporting Kansas City)
MLS WORKS HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR, PRESENTED BY ADVOCARE
Matt Lampson (Minnesota United FC)
Luis Robles (New York Red Bulls)
Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC)
The finalists earned the most votes in polling of three voting groups:
- Current MLS players
- MLS clubs (coaches, technical directors / general managers)
- Media members who consistently covered the 2018 MLS Regular Season
