Several Sounders in the running for MLS hardware
DON RUIZ; The News Tribune
A member of Seattle Sounders FC might be named Major League Soccer’s coach of the year, goalkeeper of the year, fair-play player of the year or defender of the year.
But a Sounder definitely will be named MLS newcomer of the year.
The league released the names of the finalists for its postseason awards Monday, and all three finalists for the newcomer award are Sounders: goalkeeper Kasey Keller, midfielder Freddie Ljungberg and forward Fredy Montero.
Montero finished tied for third with 12 goals in his first season in the league since moving from his native Colombia.
Ljungberg finished third in assists (nine) after playing the previous 10 seasons in the English Premier League.
Keller finished second in goals-against average (0.92) and tied for second in shutouts (10) after previous professional seasons in England, Germany and Spain.
Keller, a graduate of Lacey’s North Thurston High School, also is among the finalists in the goalkeeper and fair-play categories. Jhon Kennedy Hurtado is a finalist for defensive player of the year. And Sigi Schmid is a finalist for coach of the year, an award he has won twice previously: with Columbus last season and with Los Angeles in 1999.
The Sounders’ seven nominees are the most among MLS clubs.
Here are the nominees in all categories:
Goalkeeper: Keller; Donovan Ricketts, Los Angeles; Zach Thornton, Chivas USA.
Fair play: Keller; Pat Onstad, Houston; Steve Ralston, New England.
Comeback player of the year: Brian McBride, Chicago; Ben Olsen, D.C. United; Thornton, Chivas.
Defender: Hurtado; Geoff Cameron, Houston; Chad Marshall, Columbus.
Referee: Alex Prus, Ricardo Salazar, Kevin Scott.
Rookie: Stefan Frei, Toronto; Omar Gonzalez, Los Angeles; Chris Pontius, D.C. United.
Coach: Schmid; Bruce Arena, Los Angeles; Robert Warzycha, Columbus.
Most valuable player: Jeff Cunningham, Dallas; Landon Donovan, Los Angeles; Shalrie Joseph, New England.
The winners will be announced over the next three weeks, starting Wednesday when the goalkeeper and fair-play winners will be revealed.
Marshall day-to-day
Sounders defender Tyrone Marshall was held out of practice Monday, three days after undergoing a medical procedure to help heal the strained lateral collateral ligament in his right knee.
Marshall rode a stationary bike as his teammates returned to training for the decisive Game Two of their first-round series at Houston on Sunday.
“It’s still sore,” Marshall said. “They said it takes a couple of days for soreness. I’ll cross my fingers.”
If Marshall can’t go, the Sounders are likely to turn once again to Patrick Ianni, a former member of the Dynamo who started against his former team in Game One.
“Patrick stepped in and played well,” Schmid said. “We approach it as if Patrick is going to play again; and if Tyrone is healthy to go, then we will make that decision as we move towards the end of the week.”
Don Ruiz: 253-597-8808
don.ruiz@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/soccer
