U.S. Soccer announced its nominees for its 2018 Male Player of the Year awards on Tuesday, and all five US men’s national team contenders have MLS ties.
New York Red Bulls midfielder Tyler Adams, his fellow RBNY academy alum defender Matt Miazga, FC Dallas academy product Weston McKennie, Columbus Crew SC captain Wil Trapp and his goalkeeping teammate Zack Steffen are the US men’s national team nominees. All five are first-time nominees, reflective of the program’s shift in a youthful direction over the past year.
Voting for the awards starts today and closes on Dec. 3, 2018 at 11:59 pm ET. The winners will be announced in the first week of December.
Adams tied for the USMNT lead with eight appearances in 2018 and scored his first international goal in a 1-0 victory over Mexico on Sept. 11. Registering seven assists in 27 MLS appearances, the 19-year-old also led the Red Bulls to the Supporters’ Shield and is a key cog in their ongoing quest for the 2018 MLS Cup, which resumes with the first leg of the Eastern Conference Championship vs. Atlanta United on Sunday (5 pm ET | ESPN, ESPN Deportes, TSN2, TVAS).
McKennie has been a central-midfield regular for Bundesliga side Schalke, helping them qualify for the UEFA Champions League last season before going on to score his first two goals during the current campaign.
Miazga led all USMNT center backs with seven appearances this year, and at club level helped Dutch Eredivisie side Vitesse qualify for the Europa League. Sold to Chelsea FC for a reported $5 million transfer fee in 2016, the RBNY product is currently on loan at French side Nantes.
With six caps, Steffen tied the USMNT record for most appearances by a goalkeeper in their debut year and turned heads with an eight-save performance in a 1-1 friendly draw vs. France in June, just before Les Bleus’ run to the 2018 FIFA World Cup title. Steffen also earned MLS Goalkeeper of the Year honors after helping Crew SC reach the Conference Semifinal stage of the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Meanwhile Trapp also consolidated his position with the national team this year, making a team-leading eight appearances – wearing the captain’s armband every time – and winning Man of the Match honors against Paraguay and Peru.
