We’re 30 percent of the way through the 2018 season – 114 of 391 games in the books – and there’s no easier way to take an easily digestible snapshot of the year so far than to handicap Major League Soccer’s award season far, far in advance.
Below are my top three candidates, a dark horse choice, my current pick for the award and a prediction for who will actually take the hardware home in November when we vote for real.
Agree? Disagree? Have your own ballot? Drop it all in the comment section below and enjoy your weekend! If you only watch one game, make it Atlanta United vs. the Red Bulls on Sunday (7 pm ET | FS1, TSN – Full TV & streaming info). Or watch them all. Your choice.
Rookie of the Year
Orlando City SC's Chris Mueller is off to a stellar start to his MLS career | Isaiah J. Downing -USA TODAY Sports
Top 3:Chris Mueller (ORL), Alex Roldan (SEA), Corey Baird (RSL)
Dark horse:Handwalla Bwana (SEA)
My pick? Chris Mueller (ORL)
You only get to “borrow” celebrations if you score goals, and Mueller’s got three already while proving he can be productive at the next level after a jaw-dropping senior season at Wisconsin (9 goals, 20 assists). He’s still raw, but he’s direct and fearless. For the time being, Jason Kreis appears to prefer Mueller to Josue Colman.
Who will win:Grant Lillard (CHI)
Surprise! If Lillard isn’t on your radar, then you just haven’t been watching the Fire. He’d be in my top three, but I don’t hear much chatter about the Homegrown central defender out of Indiana, thus the switcheroo above.
Since coming back from a left knee injury, Lillard has five starts under his belt as he eases into what Chicago hope is the beginning of a long career anchoring their backline. He’ll win, because few first-year attacking players are able to sustain their production over a full season and Lillard will fill a huge hole all year long in Chicago. Consistency and impact wins out.
Newcomer of the Year
Kaku leads Major League Soccer with seven assists | Brad Penner -USA TODAY Sports
Top 3:Carlos Vela (LAFC), Ezequiel Barco (ATL), Kaku (RBNY)
Dark horse:Felipe Gutierrez/Johnny Russell (SKC)
My pick? Carlos Vela (LAFC)
Six goals, five assists in 10 games while leading LAFC to the best start in expansion history … and I expect him to get even better as the season goes on. More on that in a bit.
Who will win: Kaku (RBNY)
Barco is going to make a run at this one if he stays healthy, but it’ll be his countryman (errrrr, of a fashion) in New York who ends up with the honor. The Red Bulls dropped serious coin on Kaku, and their new No. 10 already has three goals and seven assists in his first eight MLS games.
Says here he’ll end the season with a double-double and somewhere around 25 goals scored and created plus a U.S. Open Cup triumph. You better believe that’s a straight-up guess. I’m sorry for cursing you, Red Bulls fans.
Defender of the Year
Jonathan Mensah has anchored the Crew SC defense | Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Top 3:Michael Parkhurst (ATL), Tim Parker (RBNY), Harrison Afful (CLB)
Dark horse:Jonathan Mensah (CLB)
C’mon – you knew I would get him in here after that 2017 prediction tire fire. Seriously, though, he’s been a beast. Adapting to MLS took the Ghanaian about six months. Granted, those were a tough six months …
My pick? Michael Parkhurst (ATL)
Is Parkhurst the most under-appreciated player in MLS? His career is something else – go look at the year-by-year breakdown for a lesson in consistency – and being 34-years-old doesn’t seem to have slowed him down at all. If anything, he’s even more calm and composed. Atlanta’s current dominance is a two-way street, and Parkhust's side of the block is spick-and-span.
Who will win: Harrison Afful (CLB)
I have no idea who the defender with the most shine on them will be in the fall. That mostly depends on goals allowed and where the narratives take us. Yes, this is a bit of a cop out.
Admittedly, this is a tactic to soften up voters. Center backs get all the love, and it’s time an outside back won the award. Afful has been the best in MLS this season, and Crew SC’s story this year will revolve around Gyasi Zardes and team ethos. Afful ought to feed the former and embody the latter.
Goalkeeper of the Year
Matt Turner entered preseason as the Revs No. 3 goalkeeper and has started every game | Troy Taormina -USA TODAY Sports
Top 3:Tim Melia (SKC), Zack Steffen (CLB), Jimmy Maurer (DAL)
Dark horse:Matt Turner (NE)
My pick:? Tim Melia (SKC)
Turner’s been quietly excellent. Who would have thought Brad Friedel would have a feel for goalkeepers? Same for Steffen and Maurer. On a more random note, pour one out for the Impact’s Evan Bush. Poor guy has already faced 85 shots on goal, 29 more than any other ‘keeper in MLS.
My pick is still Melia. He makes the routine look routine and has a knack for the spectacular when the game demands it.
Who will win: Tim Melia (SKC)
You thought that Sporting KC backline had lost a step, huh? Yeah, nahhhhh. Melia and the boys appreciated your concern, but they’re back to piling up shutouts and wins. Same as it ever was. That means a back-to-back for Melia. He’ll have earned it.
Coach of the Year
Bob Bradley has LAFC firing on all cylinders | Kirby Lee -USA TODAY Sports
Top 3: Tata Martino (ATL), Peter Vermes (SKC), Bob Bradley (LAFC)
Dark horse: Brad Friedel (NE)
My pick? Bob Bradley (LAFC)
Best start in expansion history, a smidgen better than the 1998 Chicago Fire, who were coached by … you guessed it. All those questions we had about LAFC? Answered, and now they’re reloading with even more talent. It’s nice to see a Bradley team play week-to-week again.
Who will win: Tata Martino (ATL)
LAFC are going to be finish third in the Western Conference, an expansion season that gets mentioned in the record books, but Atlanta United run away with the Supporters’ Shield, challenging the all-time points per game mark (2.13; LA Galaxy, 1998). For that sort of dominance, the Argentine gets his just reward.
Most Valuable Player
A healthy Mauro Diaz is back to his influential self with FC Dallas | Kevin Jairaj -USA TODAY Sports
Top 3:Bradley Wright-Phillips (RBNY), Carlos Vela (LAFC), Miguel Almiron (ATL)
Dark horse:Mauro Diaz (DAL)
My pick? Miguel Almiron (ATL)
I remain baffled by the fact that Almiron often finds himself in enough space to turn and run at opposing backlines. Mark that man! Or don’t, because when the Paraguayan turns and runs, there’s no better viewing in MLS. He’s the best player for the best team in the league. Depending on your taste, he’s the best player in the league. That = MVP. Just ask Martino.
For the record, I love BWP. He’s having a magnificent season that I expect will be indicative of his entire campaign. Please hold your outrage.
Who will win: Carlos Vela (LAFC)
Almiron hasn’t been shy about his European ambitions, and clubs are going to be beating the door down this summer, testing the resolve of Atlanta United – and perhaps more importantly – the player and his representation. The Five Stripes aren’t afraid to cash in (see Carlos Carmona), but moving Almiron midseason with the Shield, USOC, MLS Cup and a Concacaf Champions League berth at stake would be surprising (and require a whole lot of coin).
For the sake of this column, they sell. Too much money, time to reinforce in the transfer window and a stacked squad that picks up the slack to win the club’s first silverware.
That means Vela is your Landon Donovan MLS MVP, the most dominant singular attacking force in the league. The Mexico international comes back from the World Cup, gets a quick breather to jell with the team’s new faces and then eviscerates all comers through October as LAFC grab a home playoff date in Year 1.
