My USMNT All-Time Best XI

Using the candidates from http://www.ussoccer.com/centennial/centennial-home/best-xi/mnt.aspx, I have made a all-time best XI.

In goal- I have:
Kasey Keller, 1990-2007

Defenders (from right to left)- I have:
Jeff Agoos, 1988-2003
Marcelo Balboa, 1988-2000
Alexi Lalas, 1989-1998
Eddie Pope, 1996-2006

Midfielders (from right to left)- I have:
Landon Donovan, 2000-
Claudio Reyna, 1994-2006
Cobi Jones, 1992-2004
Clint Dempsey, 2004-

Strikers- I have:
Brian McBride, 1993-2006
Eric Wynalda, 1990-2000

ON THE BENCH
G: Tim Howard, 2002-
G: Tony Meola, 1988-2006
D: Carlos Bocanegra, 2001-
D: Frankie Hejduk, 1996-2009
D: Paul Caligiuri, 1984-1997
M: DaMarcus Beasley, 2001-
M: Michael Bradley, 2006-
M: Tab Ramos, 1988-2000
M: Chris Armas, 1998-2005
S: Jozy Altidore, 2007-
S: Earnie Stewart, 1990-2004
S: Clint Matthis, 1998-2005

Who will win the awards?

Only for players and coaches on the field, no Fair Plays and no referee awards
AT&T Rookie of the Year Finalists

• Deshorn Brown (Colorado Rapids)
• Dillon Powers (Colorado Rapids)
• DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)

Dillon Powers, Colorado Rapids
Defender of the Year Finalists

• Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City)
• Jose Goncalves (New England Revolution)
• Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy)

Jose Goncalves, New England Revolution
Coach of the Year Finalists

• Jason Kreis (Real Salt Lake)
• Mike Petke (New York Red Bulls)
• Caleb Porter (Portland Timbers)

Mike Petke, New York Red Bulls
Comeback Player of the Year Finalists

• Kevin Alston (New England Revolution)
• Conor Casey (Philadelphia Union)
• Lamar Neagle (Seattle Sounders FC)

Conor Casey, Philadelphia Union
Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year Finalists

• Jimmy Nielsen (Sporting Kansas City)
• Donovan Ricketts (Portland Timbers)
• Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

Donovan Ricketts, Portland Timbers
Newcomer of the Year Finalists

• Jose Goncalves (New England Revolution)
• Nigel Reo-Coker (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
• Diego Valeri (Portland Timbers)

Diego Valeri, Portland Timbers
Volkswagen Most Valuable Player Finalists

• Marco DiVaio (Montreal Impact)
• Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy)
• Mike Magee (Chicago Fire)

Mike Magee, Chicago Fire
MLS Best XI
G: Donovan Ricketts (Portland Timbers)
RB: Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy)
CB: Jose Goncalves (New England Revolution)
LB: Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City)
RM: Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
RCM: Diego Valeri (Portland Timbers)
LCM: Tim Cahill (New York Red Bulls)
LM: Camilo (Vancouver Whitecaps)
RS: Marco Di Vaio (Montreal Impact)
CS: Mike Magee (Chicago Fire)
LS: Robbie Keane (Los Angeles Galaxy)

MLS Award Shortlists

2013 Major League Soccer Awards Finalists
(Listed in alphabetical order by last name within each award category)
AT&T Rookie of the Year Finalists

• Deshorn Brown (Colorado Rapids)
• Dillon Powers (Colorado Rapids)
• DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)

Xbox Individual Fair Play Finalists*

• Jalil Anibaba (Chicago Fire)
• Nat Borchers (Real Salt Lake)
• Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers)

*Selected by MLS based on objective criteria such as fouls committed, cards received, games & minutes played, as well as subjective evaluation of sportsmanlike behavior.
Xbox Team Fair Play Finalists*

• Houston Dynamo
• LA Galaxy
• Vancouver Whitecaps FC

*Selected by MLS based on objective criteria such as fewest fouls committed, cards received, and on subjective evaluation of sportsmanlike behavior.
Defender of the Year Finalists

• Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City)
• Jose Goncalves (New England Revolution)
• Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy)

MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year Finalists

• Jeb Brovsky (Montreal Impact)
• Dwayne De Rosario (D.C. United)
• Matt Reis (New England Revolution)

Referee of the Year Finalists

• Ismail Elfath
• Hilario Grajeda
• Baldomero Toledo

Assistant Referee of the Year Finalists

• Frank Anderson
• Bill Dittmar
• Kermit Quisenberry

Coach of the Year Finalists

• Jason Kreis (Real Salt Lake)
• Mike Petke (New York Red Bulls)
• Caleb Porter (Portland Timbers)

Comeback Player of the Year Finalists

• Kevin Alston (New England Revolution)
• Conor Casey (Philadelphia Union)
• Lamar Neagle (Seattle Sounders FC)

Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year Finalists

• Jimmy Nielsen (Sporting Kansas City)
• Donovan Ricketts (Portland Timbers)
• Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

Newcomer of the Year Finalists

• Jose Goncalves (New England Revolution)
• Nigel Reo-Coker (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
• Diego Valeri (Portland Timbers)

Volkswagen Most Valuable Player Finalists

• Marco DiVaio (Montreal Impact)
• Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy)
• Mike Magee (Chicago Fire)

The playoffs- who will win?

With Real Salt Lake taking a 4-2 lead on aggregate, I think we can say they'll go through.  But what about Sporting Kansas City/Houston Dynamo?  This is what I expect:
Graham Zusi and Omar Cummings show up to play, but Hall can't stop Sporting in Missouri.  Sporting advance.

Now the final: Sporting Kansas City at home versus Real Salt Lake.

SPORTING KANSAS CITY 3-0 REAL SALT LAKE
Sporting are VERY deadly at home.  And this is where Zusi will shine.  He grabs a goal and an assist to claim the game's MVP award.  Real are left to ponder missed chances.

New MVP/Donald Index rating system

FOR STRIKERS/MIDFIELDERS
Goal- 10
Goal in the Run of Play/Free Kick- +1 each
Game winning goal- +10 each
Assist- 5
Game winning assist- +5 each
FOR DEFENDERS
Goal- 15
Goal in the Run of Play/Free Kick- +4 more
Goal off of PK- +2 more
Game winning goal- +20 more
Assist- 10
Game winning assist- +15 more
FOR GOALKEEPERS
Save- 15
Clean Sheet- 50
Goal- 100
Assist- 75
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 FOR WEEKLY INDEX
Win- +20
Loss- +0
Draw- +5
Player of the Week (MLS)- +50
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR MVP RACE
Win- +50
Loss- -5
Draw- +10
Team FIRST in conference- +100
Team SECOND/THIRD in conference- +45
Team FOURTH/FIFTH in conference- +30
Team SIXTH/SEVENTH in conference- +15
Team EIGTH/NINTH/TENTH in conference- +0
Player of the Week (MLS)- +75
Player of the Month (MLS)- +150

For transferred players, it will depend on their record.
25 or more wins- 500 points
20-24 wins- 150 points
15-19 wins- 100 points
11-14 wins- 50 points
10 or less wins- 0 points

STATE/REGION VS STATE/REGION TOURNAMENT???

What if we had different areas of the USA face each other???  That would be awesome I think.  Here would be the teams: (state in a region)
CALIFORNIA
FLORIDA
TEXAS
NEW YORK
CAPITAL AREA (MARYLAND, DELAWARE, VIRGINIA, DC, PENNSYLVANIA, WEST VIIRGINIA)
GREAT LAKES (ILLINOIS, MINNESOTTA, OHIO, MICHIGAN, WISCONSIN, INDIANA)
MIDWEST (IOWA, MISSOURI, DAKOTAS, NEBRASKA, KANSAS)
NEW ENGLAND (MAINE, MASSACHUSSETS, VERMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE, CONNECTICUT, RHODE ISLAND)
ROCKY MOUNTAIN STATES (COLORADO, MONTANA, IDAHO, UTAH, WYOMING, ARIZONA, OKLAHOMA, NEW MEXICO, NEVADA)
SOUTH EAST (KENTUCKY, TENESSEE, MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA, LOUISIANA, ARKANSAS, CAROLINAS, GEORGIA)
WEST (ALASKA, WASHINGTON, HAWAI'I, OREGON)
NEW JERSEY

As for the rules:
1. The called up player must have either been born in the state/region or spent a large enough portion of his life that he says he was a member of that state/region.
2. All players must be in top level teams, or in England's or Germany's second leagues.  (Note- this is kinda also for FIFA video game purposes so people can make the teams easily.)
3. The coach must be from the state/region.
4. Must have three goalies, 7 defenders, 7 midfielders, and 6 strikers.

Now, this is how the tournament would be layed out.
GROUP A
GROUP B
GROUP C
The top two teams from each group and the top two third place teams go into the next round.
Group A #1 vs Group B #1
Group C #1 vs Group A #2
Group B #2 vs Group C #2
3 #1 vs 3 #2

Winner A1/B1 vs Winner C1/A2
Winner B2/C2 vs Winner 3.1/3.2

Loser Semifinal 1 vs Loser Semifinal 2- THIRD PLACE
Winner Semifinal 1 vs Winner Semifinal 2- FINAL

And then one of my favorite parts of soccer- awards.
MVP- given to the best player of the tournament
Golden, Silver, Bronze Boot- given to the top three scorers
Golden, Silver, Bronze Assistant- given to the top three assistants
Golden, Silver, Bronze Glove- given to the top three goalkeepers
Fan Favorite- given to the player who receives the most fan favorite votes between the start of the final and the last whistle (this award can be given to anybody who's played 3 games or did something memorable in less)
Best Team- the 23 best players (three keepers, 7 defenders, 7 midfielders, 6 strikers) named to this squad

Leave any thoughts on this or any teams you can think of.  Thank you for reading this. 

What makes the MLS MVP the MVP to me?

Why'd Mike Magee win?  Why'd I name Cahill and Camilo to the top three?  Why not Keane, Di Vaio, Valeri, or Alonso?  I'd expect some think of this while reading my MVP choice and reasoning.  But now I explain WHAT the MVP Award is to me.

I think the MVP should be statistically great.  My top three combined had 53 goals and 15 assists.  Cahill played the least games with 27 while Magee and Camilo both played 32.  Camilo won the Golden Boot, Magee finished second, and Cahill was 11 behind Camilo.  The top statistical player was Robbie Keane, who had to do with 27 goals.  Valeri was second with 23.  Di Vaio had to do with 22.

The MVP should be an all around player, unless they're a keeper- then they should be a great keeper.  Magee, Cahill, Camilo, and Valeri would often sprint back to aid on defense.  Keane- not so much.  As for Di Vaio- when have you ever seen him run back?  He's ALWAYS forward. 

They're records with teams should be great. 
MAGEE: 16-9-7, 55 points
CAHILL: 14-5-8, 50 points
CAMILO: 12-11-9, 45 points
VALERI: 11-5-15, 48 points
KEANE: 13-3-7, 46 points
DI VAIO: 14-3-6, 48 points
So Magee has had the best luck in games.  And that's with two teams, when the first one was without its two major players a lot.  Fire without him- 3-7-2.  LA without him- 10-8-6.  New York is 3-4-0 without Cahill.  The Whitecaps are 1-1-0 without the Brazilian forward.  Portland is 3-0-0 without Valeri.  Keane's Galaxy are 2-8-1 without him.  And Montreal is 0-0-1 without Di Vaio.

The final thing: the MVP should be the main player of his team.  Keane and Valeri both have an entire group of teammates who've all been MLS award quality this season.  Keane had Donovan, Zardes, Gonzalez, and Magee for a couple games.  Valeri had Nagbe, Ricketts, Chara, and Johnson.  And Cahill even had Robles, Olave, and Henry.  Di Vaio only had Bernier and Perkins, Magee had Gonzalez in LA as Keane and Donovan were injured while not really having anybody in Chicago, and Camilo had Onstad and Young Pyo-Lee.  Magee and Camilo really were the two main parts of their teams, Di Vaio and Cahill were major parts, and Valeri and Keane were both mere pieces of a great puzzle.

WHY MIKE MAGEE SHOULD BE AND IS MY MVP

Why Mike Magee?  I'll first see why people say he shouldn't be.
Chicago didn't make the playoffs
He didn't win the Golden Boot
Chicago only went from 7th to 6th in the East
I covered as much as I could.  Well- here are my responses in order.

Chicago missed the playoffs by four goals.  They dug themselves such a deep hole in the beginning but it doesn't help either that the last game of the season is versus New York Red Bulls in New Jersey when they have the chance to win the Supporter's Shield.

The Golden Boot: Magee almost won it.  But didn't due to pure magic from Camilo.  He lost by a goal.  It was an amazing season for him- and he should've scored a few more.  The only reason he didn't will come up later.

And going from 7th to 6th.  I saw this in some comments on mlssoccer.com.  Here's what he did: Chicago were 2-7-1 through the first ten games.  Since he came on: 12-6-5.  At the rate Chicago was going they would've had a season similar to DC, Chivas, and Toronto.  But Magee came in and they became the best team in the East.

What else makes him the MVP?  He always drops back.  Watch a game where he plays up top.  He's ALWAYS running back.  If he had been like Di Vaio, he would've gotten probably 27 or more goals.  But he continuously ran back to help defend and often started plays.

As for him against other players.
Diego Valeri
Valeri has had to do with 23 goals which is amazing.  But Valeri has been surrounded by other MVP candidates all year.  Lets admit it- Will Johnson, Diego Chara, Darlington Nagbe, and Donovan Ricketts were on the team with him.  As for Chicago: a future USA starting keeper, a defensive duo that could be the next Collin/Besler, a speedy Ghanaian, and a ginger ninja.  But they didn't exactly have the best years ever- and they even said it.  Nagbe, Ricketts, Chara, and Johnson were on their games and performing 110% whenever they could.  That's what hurts Valeri to me.
Tim Cahill
Him or Cahill was tough- but not very.  As with Valeri- great statistics and a great performance with his team.  But he has one of the best ever in Henry and a rising keeper in Robles to aid him.  Not to mention Espindola, Olave, and Lloyd Sam.  He was the main key to New York- but you have to say this: Henry has done a lot as well, with more statistical greatness.  And if Robles didn't have this season- New York aren't the Supporter's Shield winners.
Camilo
Camilo contributed much to the team and won the Golden Boot.  Obvious MVP nominee.  But I say Magee over Camilo due to the team records without them.  Fire 3-7-2 without, 11-6-5 with.  Vancouver 1-1-0 without, 12-11-9 with.  His record is not a lot worse than Magee's, but considering the fact Magee was also 5-3-2 with LA, Magee's teams went 16-9-7 with him and 1-5-2 without.  An amazing record for Magee with two teams.  That gives him the edge over Camilo.
Marco Di Vaio
I'm going to get this out of the way.  Some people have been saying on mlssoccer.com Di Vaio should win it due to the fact that he scored 20 goals in the run of play gives him the title- then they say he won't win it because he's on a Canadian team.  Here's the truth: before this year, only two men have been worthy of MVP and come from Canada either in nationality or club.  They were Pat Onstad, two time Goalkeeper of the Year, and Dwayne De Rosario, who won it in 2011.  And Toronto was the Canadian representative in the MLS before Vancouver came on in 2011.  Since then, Patrice Bernier, Camilo, Marco Di Vaio, and even Young Pyo-Lee have been major candidates for MLS awards.  Now that that's out of my system, here's why Di Vaio didn't win it.  He ALWAYS sits on the backline.  Never goes back to help defend.  He was offside 78 times this season- adding on four in the playoff game versus Houston.  The MVP award should go to someone who helps across the board- not just in offense.
Robbie Keane
Keane is similar to Valeri and Cahill.  Great statistics (had to do with 27 goals), however his team contributions haven't been as much as you'd think.  Whenever Keane was out, Donovan, Magee, Zardes, and/or Gonzalez have been too.  Donovan did much to aid Keane- setting up the goals, giving Keane the assists, etc.  Keane could NOT have done this if it weren't for Magee in the first half and Donovan in the second.
MY RANKING OF THE TOP 15 MVP CANDIDATES
1. Mike Magee, Chicago Fire
2. Tim Cahill, New York Red Bulls
3. Camilo, Vancouver Whitecaps
4. Diego Valeri, Portland Timbers
5. Robbie Keane, Los Angeles Galaxy
6. Marco Di Vaio, Montreal Impact
7. Diego Fagundez, New England Revolution
8. Graham Zusi, Sporting Kansas City
9. Donovan Ricketts, Portland Timbers
10. Osvaldo Alonso, Seattle Sounders
11. Deshorn Brown, Colorado Rapids
12. Landon Donovan, Los Angeles Galaxy
13. Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake
14. Dillon Powers, Colorado Rapids
15. Brad Davis, Houston Dynamo

AWARD ROUND UPS

Most Improved Player of the Year: Conor Casey, Philadelphia Union

Coach of the Year: Mike Petke, New York Red Bulls

Newcomer of the Year: Diego Valeri, Portland Timbers

Goalkeeper of the Year: Donovan Ricketts, Portland Timbers

Defender of the Year: Jamison Olave, New York Red Bulls

Rookie of the Year: Deshorn Brown, Colorado Rapids

MVP: Mike Magee, Chicago Fire

Substitute of the Year: Lloyd Sam, New York Red Bulls

Best Young Player of the Year: Diego Fagundez, New England Revolution

Best Old Guy of the Year: Marco Di Vaio, Montreal Impact

Best Summer Newcomer: Jaime Penedo, Los Angeles Galaxy

US National Team Player of the Year: Landon Donovan, Los Angeles Galaxy

International Player of the Year: Tim Cahill, New York Red Bulls

 New York had 4 awards
Portland and LA both had 2 awards each
Chicago, Montreal, New England, Colorado, and Philadelphia all had 1 award each

Vancouver Whitecaps, Sporting Kansas City, FC Dallas, and Seattle Sounders were nominated for awards but didn't win.

MLS BEST XIs

TEAM ONE
G: Donovan Ricketts, Portland Timbers
D: Aurelien Colin, Sporting Kansas City
D: Jose Goncalves, New England Revolution
D: Jamison Olave, New York Red Bulls
D: Matt Besler, Sporting Kansas City
M: Diego Fagundez, New England Revolution
M: Tim Cahill, New York Red Bulls
M: Diego Valeri, Portland Timbers
S: Robbie Keane, Los Angeles Galaxy
S: Mike Magee, Chicago Fire
S: Camilo, Vancouver Whitecaps
TEAM TWO
G: Luis Robles, New York Red Bulls
D: Andrew Jean-Baptiste, Portland Timbers
D: Omar Gonzalez, Los Angeles Galaxy
D: Chris Klute, Colorado Rapids
M: Graham Zusi, Sporting Kansas City
M: Landon Donovan, Los Angeles Galaxy
M: Osvaldo Alonso, Seattle Sounders
M: Brad Davis, Houston Dynamo
S: Eddie Johnson, Seattle Sounders
S: Marco Di Vaio, Montreal Impact
S: Thierry Henry, New York Red Bulls
TEAM THREE
G: Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake
D: Tony Beltran, Real Salt Lake
D: George John, Houston Dynamo
D: Sheanon Williams, Philadelphia Union
D: Corey Ashe, Houston Dynamo
M: Dominic Oduro, Columbus Crew
M: Sebastian Le Toux, Philadelphia Union
M: Dillon Powers, Colorado Rapids
M: Will Johnson, Portland Timbers
S: Alvaro Saborio, Real Salt Lake
S: Deshorn Brown, Colorado Rapids

Most Valuable Player

MIKE MAGEE, CHICAGO FIRE
21 goals, 4 assists
Second in Golden Boot race, only behind Camilo (22)
Fire first in East since he came in, Galaxy third in West during his time there
Fire missed playoffs by four goals

2. Tim Cahill, New York Red Bulls
3. Camilo, Vancouver Whitecaps
4. Diego Valeri, Portland Timbers

Most Improved Player of the Year

CONOR CASEY, PHILADELPHIA UNION
10 goals, 5 assists this year versus 2 goals, 3 assists last year

2. Diego Fagundez, New England Revolution
3. Jalil Anibaba, Chicago Fire

Coach of the Year

MIKE PETKE, NEW YORK RED BULLS
New York 17-9-8 with him
Won Supporters Shield

2. Caleb Porter, Portland Timbers
3. Jason Kreis, Real Salt Lake

Newcomer of the Year

DIEGO VALERI, PORTLAND TIMBERS
10 goals
13 assists
Portland 9-5-14 when he played

2. Obafemi Martins, Seattle Sounders
3. Raul Fernandez, FC Dallas

Goalkeeper of the Year

DONOVAN RICKETTS, PORTLAND TIMBERS
14 clean sheets
0.97 GAA
92 saves
Portland 13-5-14 with him in goal

2. Luis Robles, New York Red Bulls
3. Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake

Defender of the Year

JAMISON OLAV, NEW YORK RED BULLS
4 goals
Consistently influenced the defense for New York and would often try to start the attack

2. Jose Goncalves, New England Revolution
3. Matt Besler, Sporting Kansas City

Rookie of the Year

DESHORN BROWN, COLORADO RAPIDS
10 goals
4 assists
Always showed up on the Rapids and was a key in the offense

2. Gyasi Zardes, Los Angeles Galaxy
3. DeAndre Yedlin, Seattle Sounders

Substitute of the Year

LLOYD SAM, NEW YORK RED BULLS
22 games, 8 starts
5 goals
1 assist
Often stepped in for Petke when needed and always gave 100%

2. Quincy Amarikwa, Chicago Fire
3. Kekkutah Manneh, Vancouver Whitecaps

Best Young Player of the Year

DIEGO FAGUNDEZ, NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
13 goals
7 assists
5 game winning goals

2. Deshorn Brown, Colorado Rapids
3. Jack McInerney

Best Old Guy of the Year

MARCO DI VAIO, MONTREAL IMPACT
20 goals
2 assists
5 game winning goals

2. Donovan Ricketts, Portland Timbers
3. Tim Cahill, New York Red Bulls

Best Summer Newcomer of the Year

JAIME PENEDO, LOS ANGELES GALAXY
4 clean sheets
7 goals against
9 games played
0.78 GAA

2. Gabriel Torres, Colorado Rapids
3. Juan Luis Anongano, Chicago Fire

US National Team Player of the Year

LANDON DONOVAN, LOS ANGELES GALAXY
8 goals for LA, 8 for USA
8 assists for LA, 9 for USA
Aided the USA in winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup- where he was named the MVP

2. Graham Zusi, Sporting Kansas City
3. Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake

International Player of the Year

TIM CAHILL, NEW YORK RED BULLS/AUSTRALIA
11 goals for New York, 2 goals for Australia who secured a berth in the World Cup
5 assists for New York
Played 27 games for New York Red Bulls, 2 games for Australia

This award goes to him more for his contributions to New York (which are MVP worthy) than for Australia, but he has had a couple of goals for the Aussies.

2. Robbie Keane, Los Angeles Galaxy/Ireland
3. Joel Lindpere, Chicago Fire/Estonia

My Awards

Most Valuable Player- NOVEMBER 4
Mike Magee, Chicago Fire

Camilo, Vancouver Whitecaps

Tim Cahill, New York Red Bulls

Diego Valeri, Portland Timbers

Substitute of the Year- NOVEMBER 3
Quincy Amarikwa, Chicago Fire

Lloyd Sam, New York Red Bulls

Kekkutah Manneh, Vancouver Whitecaps

Rookie of the Year- NOVEMBER 3
Deshorn Brown, Colorado Rapids

DeAndre Yedlin, Seattle Sounders

Gyasi Zardes, Los Angeles Galaxy

Defender of the Year- NOVEMBER 2
Jamison Olave, New York Red Bulls

Jose Goncalves, New England Revolution

Matt Besler, Sporting Kansas City

Goalkeeper of the Year- NOVEMBER 1
Donovan Ricketts, Portland Timbers

Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake

Luis Robles, New York Red Bulls

Newcomer of the Year- NOVEMBER 1
Diego Valeri, Portland Timbers

Obafemi Martins, Seattle Sounders

Raul Fernandez, FC Dallas

Coach of the Year- OCTOBER 31
Mike Petke, New York Red Bulls

Caleb Porter, Portland Timbers

Jason Kreis, Real Salt Lake

Most Improved Player of the Year- OCTOBER 31
Jalil Anibaba, Chicago Fire

Conor Casey, Philadelphia Union

Diego Fagundez, New England Revolution

Best Young Player of the Year- OCTOBER 30
Jack McInerney, Philadelphia Union

Diego Fagundez, New England Revolution

Deshorn Brown, Colorado Rapids

Best Old Guy of the Year- OCTOBER 30
Marco Di Vaio, Montreal Impact

Donovan Ricketts, Portland Timbers

Tim Cahill, New York Red Bulls

Best Summer Newcomer of the Year- OCTOBER 29
Juan Luis Anongano, Chicago Fire

Gabriel Torres, Colorado Rapids

Jaime Penedo, Los Angeles Galaxy

International Player of the Year- OCTOBER 28
Robbie Keane, Los Angeles Galaxy/Ireland

Joel Lindpere, Chicago Fire/Estonia

Tim Cahill, New York Red Bulls/Australia

US National Team Player of the Year- OCTOBER 28
Landon Donovan, Los Angeles Galaxy

Graham Zusi, Sporting Kansas City

Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake

MLS First, Second, and Third XI will all be announced on November 5

MLS USA WORLD CUP SQUAD

My choices are based on stats and a bit on bias.  But these are the 23 Americans from the MLS who would be on my World Cup squad.
1. Sean Johnson, G- Chicago Fire
2. Sheanon Williams, D- Philadelphia Union
3. Corey Ashe, D- Houston Dynamo
4. Omar Gonzalez, D- Los Angeles Galaxy
5. Brad Evans, D- Seattle Sounders
6. Matt Besler, D- Sporting Kansas City
7. Eddie Johnson, F- Seattle Sounders
8. Clint Dempsey, M- Seattle Sounders
9. Mike Magee, M- Chicago Fire
10. Landon Donovan, F- Los Angeles Galaxy
11. Brad Davis, M- Houston Dynamo
12. Clint Irwin, G- Colorado Rapids
13. Benny Felihaber, M- Sporting Kansas City
14. Kyle Beckerman, M- Real Salt Lake
15. Clarence Goodson, D- San Jose Earthquakes
16. Patrick Nyarko, M- Chicago Fire
17. Jalil Anibaba, D- Chicago Fire
18. Graham Zusi, M- Sporting Kansas City
19. Chris Wondolowski, F- San Jose Earthquakes
20. Jack McInerney, F- Philadelphia Union
21. Dillon Powers, M- Colorado Rapids
22. Nick Rimando, G- Real Salt Lake
23. Austin Berry, D- Chicago Fire

STARTING XI
                                                                     Johnson

Evans                                     Gonzalez                           Besler                                      Goodson

                                               Beckerman                       Davis

Zusi                                                              Dempsey (VC)                                             Magee

                                                                     Donovan (C)

Who are the top 5 for other awards?

Substitute of the Year
Quincy Amarikwa, Chicago Fire
Josh Saunders, Real Salt Lake
Andy Rose, Seattle Sounders
Lloyd Sam, New York Red Bulls
Kekkutah Manneh, Vancouver Whitecaps
Rookie of the Year
Deshorn Brown, Colorado Rapids
DeAndre Yedlin, Seattle Sounders
Gyasi Zardes, Los Angeles Galaxy
Dillon Powers, Colorado Rapids
Yazid Atouba, Chicago Fire
Defender of the Year
Jamison Olave, New York Red Bulls
Jose Goncalves, New England Revolution
Andrew Jean-Baptiste, Portland Timbers
Aurelien Colin, Sporting Kansas City
Chris Klute, Colorado Rapids
Goalkeeper of the Year
Donovan Ricketts, Portland Timbers
Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake
Sean Johnson, Chicago Fire
Luis Robles, New York Red Bulls
Clint Irwin, Colorado Rapids
Newcomer of the Year
Diego Valeri, Portland Timbers
Raul Fernandez, FC Dallas
Juninho Pernmabucano, New York Red Bulls
Obafemi Martins, Seattle Sounders
Robert Earnshaw, Toronto FC
Coach of the Year
Mike Petke, New York Red Bulls
Frank Klopas, Chicago Fire
Caleb Porter, Portland Timbers
Jason Kreis, Real Salt Lake
Oscar Pareja, Colorado Rapids
Most Improved Player of the Year
Jalil Anibaba, Chicago Fire
Conor Casey, Colorado Rapids
Marco Di Vaio, Montreal Impact
Dominic Oduro, Columbus Crew
Diego Fagundez, New England Revolution
Best Young Player of the Year
Diego Fagundez, New England Revolution
Jack McInerney, Philadelphia Union
Deshorn Brown, Colorado Rapids
Juan Agudelo, New England Revolution
Kekutah Manneh, Vancouver Whitecaps
Best Old Guy of the Year
Marco Di Vaio, Montreal Impact
Donovan Ricketts, Portland Timbers
Jon Busch, San Jose Earthquakes
Tim Cahill, New York Red Bulls
Jimmy Nielson, Sporting Kansas City
Best Summer Newcomer of the Year
Juan Luis Anongano, Chicago Fire
Clint Dempsey, Seattle Sounders
Clarence Goodson, San Jose Earthquakes
Alvaro Rey, Toronto FC
Gabriel Torres, Colorado Rapids
International Player of the Year
Robbie Keane, Los Angeles Galaxy/Ireland
Joel Lindpere, Chicago Fire/Estonia
Tim Cahill, New York Red Bulls/Australia
Will Johnson, Portland Timbers/Canada
Darren Mattocks, Vancouver Whitecaps/Jamaica
US National Team Player of the Year
Landon Donovan, Los Angeles Galaxy
Graham Zusi, Sporting Kansas City
Eddie Johnson, Seattle Sounders
Sean Johnson, Chicago Fire
Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake

MLS Playoff Predictions and Award Predictions

EAST-
1. New York
2. Sporting
3. Houston
4. Chicago
5. Montreal
Chicago beats Montreal 3-0 at home
Sporting tops Houston with a 2-0 win at home then a 1-1 draw away
Chicago beats New York 4-2 at home then wins 2-1 in New York
Chicago edges Sporting 2-1 at home then 1-1 draw away
TOP SCORER: Mike Magee (Chicago), 7 goals (also 3 assists)
TOP ASSISTANT: Juan Luis Anongano (Chicago), 4 assists (also 3 goals)
WEST-
1. Portland
2. Real Salt Lake
3. Seattle
4. Colorado
5. San Jose
Colorado beats San Jose 2-1 at home
Seattle draws Real Salt Lake 0-0 at home then wins 2-1 in Salt Lake City
Portland destroys Colorado with two 3-0 wins
Portland edges Seattle with a 1-1 draw in Seattle and a 1-0 win in Portland
TOP SCORER: Diego Valeri (Portland), 4 goals (also 2 assists)
TOP ASSISTANT: Will Johnson (Portland), Diego Valeri (Portland), Eddie Johnson (Seattle), 2 assists each
MLS CUP FINAL
PORTLAND TIMBERS 0-4 CHICAGO FIRE
Mike Magee- 2 goals, 1 assist
Juan Luis Anongano- 1 goal, 1 assist
Jeff Larentowicz- 1 goal
Sean Johnson (Chicago)- 15 saves, CS

MVP: Sean Johnson, Chicago Fire



AWARDS
MVP- Mike Magee, Chicago Fire
Defender of the Year- Jamison Olave, New York Red Bulls
Coach of the Year- Caleb Porter, Portland Timbers
Goalkeeper of the Year- Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake
Rookie of the Year- Deshorn Brown, Colorado Rapids
Golden Boot- Mike Magee, Chicago Fire- 23 goals, 6 assists
Newcomer of the Year- Diego Valeri, Portland Timbers

Week 32 Power Rankings

1. New York Red Bulls (+1)
2. Real Salt Lake (+2)
3. Seattle Sounders (-2)
4. Colorado Rapids (+1)
5. Portland Timbers (-2)
6. Sporting Kansas City
7. Los Angeles Galaxy (+1)
8. Houston Dynamo (+1)
9. Chicago Fire (+3)
10. Montreal Impact (-3)
11. Philadelphia Union (+3)
12. Vancouver Whitecaps (-2)
13. San Jose Earthquakes (+2)
14. New England Revolution (-1)
15. Columbus Crew (-3)
16. FC Dallas
17. Toronto FC
18. DC United (+1)
19. Chivas USA (-1)

Chicago Fire Best Team

Today is the 16th Anniversary of my favorite team the Chicago Fire.  In honor of this, I'll be naming their best players over the last 16 years.
G: Zach Thornton
G: Jon Busch
G: Sean Johnson
D: Chris Brown
D: Arne Friedrich
D: Bakary Soumare
D: Gonzalo Segares
D: Lubos Kubik
D: Cory Gibbs
D: Carlos Bocanegra
M: Pavel Pardo
M: Marco Pappa
M: Cuauhtémoc Blanco
M: Peter Nowak
M: Chris Armas
M: Hristo Stoichkov
M: DaMarcus Beasley
S: Ante Razov
S: Patrick Nyarko
S: Chris Rolfe
S: Brian McBride
S: Frank Klopas
S: Mike Magee

COACH: Bob Bradley
STARTING XI
                                                Thornton
Soumare             Brown                                 Kubik          Segares
                           Stoichkov                            Nowak
Blanco                                                                                Pappa
                           Razov                                  Klopas
BENCH
Busch
Friedrich
Bocanegra
Beasley
Armas
Magee
McBride

MLS Power Rankings week 31

1. Seattle Sounders
2. New York Red Bulls
3. Portland Timbers (+1)
4. Real Salt Lake (-1)
5. Colorado Rapids (+2)
6. Sporting Kansas City
7. Montreal Impact (+1)
8. Los Angeles Galaxy (-3)
9. Houston Dynamo
10. Vancouver Whitecaps
11. Columbus Crew (+2)
12. Chicago Fire
13. New England Revolution (-2)
14. Philadelphia Union (+2)
15. San Jose Earthquakes (-1)
16. FC Dallas (-1)
17. Toronto FC
18. DC United
19. Chivas USA

Who really is the leading MVP candidate???

Mike Magee, the savior of the Chicago Fire
Robbie Keane, statistical leader
Marco Di Vaio, golden boot leader
Diego Valeri, golden assistant
And then- the dark horses of the competition- Camilo (Vancouver), Frederico Higuain (Columbus), Diego Fagundez (Revolution).

So- who really IS the leader?!?!?!

Looking at the playoff statistics, only three of these men are on teams that are in the playoffs (Keane, Di Vaio, Valeri).  And they haven't even booked their tickets into November!  The way I see it- the MVP will be among this group, with the possible inclusion of say Eddie Johnson or Nick Rimando.  These men have led their teams and/or had a great statistical season.  The Golden Boot winner always is in the final three.  And usually so is the guy who contributed the most to his team.  And transferred players who go to a failing team and put it into playoff contention are usually high on that list.  But here's the thing that I say will decide the MVP- the golden boot.  Magee gets a hat trick or a brace, or even a goal- and Di Vaio doesn't score.  Magee will be in the lead for Golden Boot.  The Fire face a probably hung over US Open Cup winning DC United on Friday.  Montreal will head to a fortress- Houston Dynamo's BBVA Compass Stadium.  Will we see the golden boot leader change hands??  I think so- and here's why. 

DC are out of the playoffs.  They've really been out since July.  And their stars are probably tired from the US Open Cup win.  Well, it wouldn't shock me or probably anybody to see DC put out a side that isn't all there- tired, hung over (possibly literally), and just fighting not to get throttled.  Well- we then see a Chicago who wants revenge for DC knocking them out of the Cup.  Klopas has been trying to find the right players to put out there.  Magee, who will no doubt be the Fire MVP, will be at the center of the offense.  He wants that hat trick- and what better way to get it than against a poor side?  Chicago will probably win it- and Magee will probably score. 

On the other side- Houston Dynamo.  23 goals for at home- compared to 9 against.  And Houston wants a win too badly- with a win, they go into playoff contention, without the need of a wild card game.  Di Vaio is being figured out.  You saw it when the Fire faced Montreal.  Austin Berry was always on him, with Larentowicz nearby in case he was needed.  And against a Houston side that's been one of the best defenses, and have their great goalie, Di Vaio will find scoring extremely difficult.

But- that's just between Di Vaio and Magee.  What about Keane or Valeri, or anyone else?  Keane and Valeri are similar.  The only difference is Keane has played less games than Valeri.  But the team betterer award among these two goes to Diego.  He's contributed much to Portland, while LA relies on Keane, Donovan, Gonzalez, Junhinho, etc.  He isn't relied on as much as Valeri, Magee, or Di Vaio.  But the team betterer award should go to the player who plays great in multiple positions. 

Magee, Valeri, Di Vaio, Keane, and a dark horse (probably Camilo).  The best defenders- Valeri and Magee.  They are natural midfielders.  You see them running back all the time. 

After all this, I leave this prediction of how it'll end:

Magee (aka Mr. November) has a great month in October, leading the golden boot race.  Chicago make the playoffs by the skin of their teeth.  He wins October Player of the Month.

Valeri has a great month as well.  He gets multiple goals and takes sole possession of the assistant leader board.  He barely looses to Magee for player of the month.

Keane is called up by Ireland halfway through, and teams pounce on the chance.  LA barely miss the playoffs with Keane holding his head on the last day while watching Seattle celebrate a win.

Di Vaio starts to show his age, and Montreal's offense grows weak.  Montreal make the playoffs barely, with Di Vaio loosing the golden boot.

MVP VOTES
1. Mike Magee
2. Diego Valeri
3. Robbie Keane
4. Marco Di Vaio
5. Camilo

How far will MLS go?

People say the MLS is not a great league.  To a point, they are right.  However, the MLS is better then most leagues on many levels- the biggest being competition.  The team with the most points per game in 2013 is Seattle with 1.79, compared to Manchester United in 2012/2013- they had 2.3.  Competition wise, the MLS is really one of the best.  In what other league can a team be 2-7-1 in the first ten games and still have a chance at winning?  The MLS has some way to go before the best in the world come from the MLS, but it may not be long.

Expansion is a key to MLS' future.  With 19 teams already, and 4 on the way, the MLS is rapidly growing.  And the good thing is- the competition will keep getting bigger and bigger.  But what will expansion really do to the MLS?  A major problem is coming with it.  Scheduling.  A team will play 44 games in a season if there are 23 MLS teams.  So- what do we need to do?

How about relegation?  The MLS, NASL, and USL Pro leagues are the top leagues in the USA, Canada, and some other areas.  So- why not have a relegation system?  How about this: 8 teams in each MLS Conference, and the rest of the teams are divided up among the other two leagues.  And the relegation process is the worst team from each conference is relegated, while the two second to worst teams face each other in an aggregate showdown to see which is relegated.

If the MLS does that, it will become more highly ranked.  And teams will fight to stay above last in the conference even harder.  Competition among conference foes would increase drastically.  Agree?

That is all.  Sorry it was so short.

My end of season awards

Following the last game of the MLS season, which will be Seattle Sounders hosting Los Angeles Galaxy on October 27 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, which can be seen on ESPN, (I'm hoping to get a bit of dough from that; fingers crossed!), I will be saying a shortlist of award candidates- 3 for each award.  The awards, and ways to qualify, are as such:
Most Valuable Player
The MVP will be the player who has had a statistically fantastic season and has contributed the most to his team.
Substitute of the Year
This award will be given to the man who has started less then 10 games all season but has still done much for the team.
Rookie of the Year
In order to win this, you must have played your first season as a professional soccer player and contributed much to the team.
Defender of the Year
You have to have scored a goal and/or assisted more than one, must have contributed much to the defense, and must have been a consistent player.
Goalkeeper of the Year
To win, you need a great record, and to contribute much to your team.
Newcomer of the Year
This award goes to the player who came in in the offseason who has contributed the most to his team.
Coach of the Year
To win, the coach has to have been the best overall coach all year or made changes in the middle of the season that improved the team greatly.
Most Improved Player of the Year
The player who played significantly better than last year, but this player must have played a majority of games last year.
MLS Best XI, MLS Secondary XI, MLS Third XI
The best players in their respective positions.  NOTE- no nominees will be announced.
Best Young Player of the Year
The best player who was under the age of 23.
Best Old Guy of the Year
The best player who was over the age of 33.
Best Summer Newcomer of the Year
The player who did the best since being acquired in the Summer transfer market.
International Player of the Year
This award goes to the player who has done the most for both club and foreign national teams.
US National Team Player of the Year
This award goes to the player who has done the most for club and the US National Team.

Which MLS player could be a shocking best ever to play pro?

The MLS has held some great players, like Cuauhtémoc Blanco, David Beckham, Thierry Henry, and Robbie Keane.  But one player is actually better than all of them.  And the shock- he's not from Europe or South America.  He's an American.  Landon Donovan.

Why do I say him?  How about 57 goals and 57 assists for the USA, as well as 132 goals and 116 assists in the MLS.  That's not including playoffs either.  That is 22 goals and 12 assists.  Also, there are 2 goals for Everton and 9 goals for Bayer Leverkusen II.  So 222 goals and at least 128 assists.  So he's had to do with about 350 goals.  Then you add on his positioning.  I've seen Donovan shoot, it hit the bar, counter attack starts, and the guy with the ball around the 18 yard box of Donovan's team is tackled- by Donovan.  He can run all over the field as if he was 22.

Then his award case comes into focus.  4 Gold Cup wins, one silver, and a bronze.  One Confederations Cup silver.  5 MLS Cups, two Supporters Shields, and one US Open Cup.  Individually: 4 US Soccer Athlete of the Years, 7  Honda Player of the Years, 1999 FIFA U-17 Golden Ball, 2002 FIFA World Cup Best Young Player and part of the Team of the Tournament, 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup MVP, 3 time Gold Cup top scorer, 4 time member of Gold Cup Best XI, 6 time MLS Best XI, 2009 MLS MVP, two time MLS Cup MVP, 2001 MLS Allstar-game MVP, 2008 MLS Golden Boot.

So a total of 32 individual awards and 15 team awards.  And his pro career has only been 14 years long.  That means he's won a team award and two individual awards every year.  And he's not even close to done.

My prediction for Landon Donovan's future: Donovan and the Galaxy go out in the Western Conference finals to Seattle in 2013.  In 2014 he is called up by Klinsmann.  He scores 6 goals as the USA finish 3rd.  He's named the Best Player of the Tournament.  He wins the 2015 Gold Cup and 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.  He plays in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but not as well as in 2014.  He scores 3 goals, and has 4 assists.  He retires from international competition after that, without a World Cup.  He stays with the Galaxy until 2023, and retires at the age of 41.  He wins two more MVP awards, named to the Best XI 5 times, and wins 3 MLS Cups- named MVP in two of them.  He retires with 567 goals and 512 assists to his name- to equal 1,079 goals he's had to do with.

Week 30 MVP race

1. Mike Magee- Chicago Fire/Los Angeles Galaxy
If the Fire make the playoffs, Magee wins the MVP award, or at least that's what former MVP Taylor Twellman said.  He played a major role in helping LA to where they were before the transfer, a great understudy for Donovan, and now leads the Fire in the hunt for the wildcard spot.  A bad game in Columbus, and as a Fire fan, I have to say the referee didn't call all the Crew's fouls on the Fire.  I say Magee has booked a ticket in the MVP race, but Keane and Di Vaio are close on his tail.  I think if Magee wants to win MVP for sure, he'll need to do one of these:
WIN ANOTHER PLAYER OF THE MONTH AWARD
WIN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
SCORE A HATTRICK
FIRE MAKE THE PLAYOFFS
FIRE MAKE THE PLAYOFFS AND GET TO THE CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
If these happen, all of them combined, Magee- who will then have March, June, and October Player of the Month Awards, as well as 2 Player of the Week awards, at least 19 goals, and the Fire- who looked out after 10 matches are now in the playoffs, even getting through the Wild Card game.  If three of these things happen, Magee is without a doubt the MVP.
2. Robbie Keane- Los Angeles Galaxy
Keane is highly overrated.  I get it, 13 goals and 11 assists in 18 games.  I agree- that's impressive.  But even as impressive as that is Keane doesn't have what I call the "Team Bettered Award."  When Donovan doesn't play, and when Magee was out before Donovan's return, he wasn't as good.  This was due to the fact that he'd lost his main passers and assisters.  When Keane is out but Donovan is in, he leads LA with ease, but combined it's a great pair up.
3. Marco Di Vaio- Montreal Impact
The Golden Boot winner is always an MVP candidate.  Montreal are not in a very good spot right now, and Di Vaio appears to be loosing his edge a bit.  Still, 18 of the 46 Montreal goals have come through him.  If Di Vaio does retire at the season's end, he probably will gain some respect votes for his massive last year achievement.
4. Diego Valeri- Portland Timbers
12 assists (leads league) and 8 goals combined equal 20 goals Valeri had to do with- out of Portland's 45.  He is highly underrated.  When we look at Keane, he's scored 5 more goals, but has one less assist.  I think Valeri will be on the best XI at season's end.  As for the team- Will Johnson is a good player, but Diego is just better.  When he's on form, Portland are hard to beat.
5. Camilo- Vancouver Whitecaps
16 goals, 5 assists.  Vancouver's last hope of getting into the playoffs.  He'll have to be a great player to get on the MVP ballot.  And when I say great- winning the golden boot, Vancouver in the playoffs, and him winning Player of the Month.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Diego Fagundez, New England Revolution
Thierry Henry, New York Red Bulls
Eddie Johnson, Seattle Sounders
Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake
Frederico Higuain, Columbus Crew

I decided to put a personal ranking up instead of my usual calculation tool.  This is do to me having math and being angered by it today.

IF THE SEASON ENDED NOW PREDICTIONS

PLAYOFF TEAMS
East
New York Red Bulls
Sporting Kansas City
Montreal Impact
Houston Dynamo (WC)
New England Revolution (WC)

West
Seattle Sounders
Real Salt Lake
Portland Timbers
Los Angeles Galaxy (WC)
Colorado Rapids (WC)

AWARDS
Golden Boot: Marco Di Vaio, Montreal Impact
Rookie of the Year: DeAndre Yedlin, Seattle Sounders
Coach of the Year: Sigi Schmind, Seattle Sounders
Goalkeeper of the Year: Donovan Ricketts, Portland Timbers
Defender of the Year: Matt Besler, Sporting Kansas City
Newcomer of the Year: Diego Valeri, Philadelphia Union
Comeback Player of the Year: Conor Casey, Philadelphia Union
MVP: Mike Magee, Chicago Fire

PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS
Houston beats New England
LA beats Colorado
Sporting beats New York
Seattle beats RSL
Portland beats LA
Montreal beats Houston
Sporting beats Montreal
Seattle beats Portland

FINAL
Seattle 2-1 Sporting
MVP: Eddie Johnson

Power Rankings

1. Seattle Sounders
2. New York Red Bulls
3. Real Salt Lake
4. Portland Timbers
5. Los Angeles Galaxy
6. Sporting Kansas City
7. Colorado Rapids
8. Montreal Impact
9. Houston Dynamo
10. Vancouver Whitecaps
11. New England Revolution
12. Chicago Fire
13. Columbus Crew
14. San Jose Earthquakes
15. FC Dallas
16. Philadelphia Union
17. Toronto FC
18. DC United
19. Chivas USA

MLS MVP standings after week 29

Mike Magee- Chicago Fire/Los Angeles Galaxy (242)
Traded to Chicago in May
16 goals, 10 for Fire, 6 for Los Angeles (48)
3 assists, all for Fire (6)
5 game winning goals (5)
LA 5-4-1 (16 points) 3rd in West during tenure (7)
Chicago 9-4-4 (34 points, not including 1-1 draw versus Real Salt Lake on day he was transferred) 1st in East during tenure (16)
Won March and June Player of the Month Awards (100)
Week 1 Player of the Week Award with an ironic hat trick versus Chicago Fire (40)
Scored in 4 games from June 2 to June 22 (12)
Scored in 3 games from July 20 to August 3 (8)

Robbie Keane- Los Angeles Galaxy (203)
13 goals
11 assists
2 game winning goals
LA 13-10-5 (44 points) 4th in West
August Player of the Month
Won Week 25 and 27 Player of the Week Awards

Marco Di Vaio- Montreal Impact (218)
18 goals
2 Assists
5 game winning assists
Montreal 13-8-6 (45 points) 2nd in East
Won Week 13 and 28 Player of the Week Awards
Scored in 3 games from May 8 to May 25
Leads Golden Boot race

Camilo- Vancouver Whitecaps (207)
14 goals
5 assists
4 game winning goals
Vancouver 10-10-8 (38 points) 7th in West
July Player of the Month
Won Week 17 and 20 Player of the Week Awards
Scored in 5 games from June 8 to July 3

Jack McInerney- Philadelphia Union (196)
10 goals
5 game winning goals
Philadelphia 10-10-9 (39 points) 6th in East
Won April and May Player of the Month Awards
Week 8 Player of the Week
Scored in 3 games from April 6 to April 21
Scored in 3 games from March 5 to June 1

Diego Valeri- Portland Timbers (95)
7 goals
12 assists
Portland 10-5-13 (43 points) 5th in West
Leads league in assists (joint lead with Sebastian Le Toux)

1. Mike Magee- 242
2. Marco Di Vaio- 218
3. Camilo- 207
4. Robbie Keane- 203
5. Jack McInerney- 196
6. Diego Valeri- 95

I'm taking a look at the statistics, and statistically speaking, Will Johnson of the Portland Timbers isn't as good as say Magee, while Valeri has done much  more statistically.

Leave any comments or questions you have and thanks for reading this.

2013 MLS MVP CANDIDATES BY DONALD H UPDATED TO SEPTEMBER 12

2013 MLS MVP CANDIDATES BY DONALD H
Mike Magee- Chicago Fire/Los Angeles Galaxy (236)
Traded to Chicago in May
15 goals, 9 for Fire, 6 for Los Angeles
3 assists, all for Fire
5 game winning goals
LA 5-4-1 (16 points) 3rd in West during tenure
Chicago 8-4-4 (28 points, not including 1-1 draw versus Real Salt Lake on day he was transferred) 1st in East during tenure
Won March and June Player of the Month Awards
Week 1 Player of the Week Award with an ironic hat trick versus Chicago Fire
Scored in 4 games from June 2 to June 22
Scored in 3 games from July 20 to August 3

Robbie Keane- Los Angeles Galaxy (203)
12 goals
10 assists
2 game winning goals
LA 13-10-4 (43 points) 3rd in West
August Player of the Month
Won Week 25 and 27 Player of the Week Awards

Marco Di Vaio- Montreal Impact (218)
17 goals
2 Assists
5 game winning assists
Montreal 13-7-6 (45 points) 1st in East
Won Week 13 and 28 Player of the Week Awards
Scored in 3 games from May 8 to May 25
Leads Golden Boot race

Camilo- Vancouver Whitecaps (207)
14 goals
5 assists
4 game winning goals
Vancouver 10-10-7 (37 points) 7th in West
July Player of the Month
Won Week 17 and 20 Player of the Week Awards
Scored in 5 games from June 8 to July 3

Diego Fagundez- New England Revolution (116)
10 goals
6 assists
4 game winning goals
New England 10-10-7 (37 points) 5th in East
Week 14 Player of the Week
Scored in 4 games from May 11 to June 5
Scored in 3 games from August 25 to September 8

Jimmy Nielson- Sporting Kansas City (121)
10 clean sheets
58 saves
0.96 goals against average
Sporting 13-9-6 (45 points) 3rd in East
5 game clean sheet streak March 16-April 17

Sebastian Le Toux- Philadelphia Union (83)
3 goals
12 assists
Philadelphia 10-9-9 (39 points) 4th in East
Leads league in assists (joint lead with Diego Valeri)

Jack McInerney- Philadelphia Union (201)
10 goals
5 game winning goals
Philadelphia 10-9-9 (39 points) 4th in East
Won April and May Player of the Month Awards
Week 8 Player of the Week
Scored in 3 games from April 6 to April 21
Scored in 3 games from March 5 to June 1

Diego Valeri- Portland Timbers (92)
6 goals
12 assists
Portland 10-5-12 (42 points) 5th in West
Leads league in assists (joint lead with Sebastian Le Toux)

Tim Cahill- New York Red Bulls (91)
8 goals
4 assists
4 game winning goals
New York 13-9-6 (45 points) 2nd in East
Week 9 Player of the Week

RANKINGS
1. Mike Magee, Chicago Fire/Los Angeles Galaxy
2. Marco Di Vaio, Montreal Impact
3. Camilo, Vancouver Whitecaps
4. Robbie Keane, Los Angeles Galaxy
5. Jack McInerney, Philadelphia Union
6. Jimmy Nielson, Sporting Kansas City
7. Diego Fagundez, New England Revolution
8. Diego Valeri, Portland Timbers
9. Tim Cahill, New York Red Bulls
10. Sebastian Le Toux, Philadelphia Union

please leave any comments you have  thank you

MY MVP CALCULATION TOOL

STRIKER/MIDFIELDER

Goal- 3

Assist- 2

GWG- 1

DEFENDER

Goal- 2

Assist- 1

GWG - 0.5

Clean Sheet- 3

GOALIE

Clean Sheet- 3

Save- 0.8 rounded to the nearest whole number

GAA: >1- 10; 1-1.3-7

TEAM CONFERENCE STANDINGS

1^st- 20

2^nd/3^rd- 15

4^th/5^th- 10

6^th/7^th- 5

8^th/9^th/10^th- 0

TRANSFERRED TEAMS DURING SEASON

FIRST TEAM

1^st- 8

2^nd/3^rd- 7

4^th/5^th- 6

6^th/7^th- 5

8^th/9^th/10^th- 1

SECOND TEAM AFTER (BASED ON RECORD SINCE TRANSFER)

1^st- 16

2^nd/3^rd- 12

4^th/5^th- 8

6^th/7^th- 4

8^th/9^th/10^th- 0

AWARDS

Player of the Month- 50

Player of the Week- 40

GOAL SCORING STREAKS

3 games- 8

4 games- 12

5 games- 16

6+ games- 25

CLEAN SHEET STREAKS

2 games- 5

3 games- 10

4 games- 15

5 games- 20

6+ games- 50

Golden Boot leader: 50 points
Assist leader: 40 points