Part 1: Who is the Rookie of the Year?
The 2009 draft feels like years ago, where a young man born and raised in London, England turned down professional offers from his home land just to test his fate and enter the MLS Draft. On the other end of the spectrum was Tampa native Ben Jata living out him and his father’s dream of being drafted into the MLS when the Chicago Fire selected him 58th overall. The storylines could not have been any better for the MLS marketing team, but the stories were not needed when the skill of the players overshadowed the stories.
The fans have been able to enjoy one of the best draft classes of all time this past season; whether it is the size and skill of Galaxy center back Omar Gonzalez, or the pace and vision of D.C. United’s Rodney Wallace. The fans have witnessed over a dozen rookies who have made an impact on their teams and in the league, which has made the race for rookie of the year very tight.
The starting goalkeeper role is usually for the old men in the MLS, but Stefan Frei did not get that memo as the 23 year old rookie grabbed the bull by its horns and nabbed the starting role since the start of the season. Frei has been near perfect in his first season with an impressive 1.51 GAA and 4 clean sheets. The 4 clean sheets are even more impressive when you take in the fact he is guarding the net for the defensively challengedt Toronto FC. The only downfall Frei game this year has been his indecisiveness when distributing the ball, he seems to second guess his vision after every save. Another problem, which he can not be faulted for is the fact that he cannot compare statistically with the other competitors in the Rookie of the Year chase.
Coming into the combine Omar Gonzalez was the consensus number one defender. But after day one at the combine, there were some highly touted media members questioning his speed, but after nearly a whole season of starting for one of the best defenses in the league, the Maryland product has proven all the critics wrong. With Gonzalez’s addition, the Galaxy went from the worst defending team in '08 (30 GP, 62 GA) to one of the best in '09 (23 GP, 23 GA). The former NCAA champion has had to learn on the fly as he has yet to miss a single game. His size and strength also make him an offensive threat, he has only scored one goal this season but with a bit more confidence going forward he could be as effective on set pieces as defender Jimmy Conrad. Gonzalez would be a shoe-in for the rookie of the year award with the way his team is playing, but Los Angeles has had a complete overhaul in the backline, so the improvement is not just from his addition; although if that is his only flaw this year, then he is definitely a top dog in this race.
Another defender who has steadied a sinking ship is former Indiana Hoosier Kevin Alston. In the off-season the Revolution lost the rights of defender Michael Parkhurst to a European side and needed a quick replacement, so they drafted Alston. Coming in to the ‘09 season fans were questioning the team’s defense; but after a full year Alston has proven that he is the real deal. Across the league he has earned the title of one of the leagues hardest tacklers. His never give up attitude and his blazing speed has already gotten under the skin of many strikers and wingers in the league, causing many a retaliatory yellow cards. Alston has already proven that he not only has the tools to be one of the best fullbacks in the MLS, but that he is already is one of the best. The only knock Alston has to his case for rookie of the year is the same as Gonzalez; he has had some help with the back line thanks to fellow rookie Darius Barnes. But the play as of late from Alston has shown everyone across the league that he is someone to watch for in the future.
These three may be the best of the defenders in the rookie class, but it does not end there. The ‘09 class is full of solid defensive players like Darrius Barnes, A.J. Delagarza, Sam Cronin and Matt Besler to name a few. They could all very well be involved with the Rookie of the Year race any other year, but this year is so close that you have to have an outstanding year to get noticed. In the next few days, part 2 will look at the 3 attacking players who will be involved with the Rookie of the Year race.
Tue, 08/25/2009 - 11:00
#2
Correct hense the
" In the off-season the Revolution lost the rights of defender Michael Parkhurst to a European side and needed a quick replacement, so they drafted Alston."
Maybe the sentence was a bit misleading tho, sorry about that.
Gonzalez and Frei are surely 1-2 as we enter the final couple weeks of the regular season. However, no one from any position on the field can match Steve Zakuani's five goals and four assists. He's even ahead of his erstwhile co-former Gunner, teammate Freddie Ljungberg, scoring wise. Sigi knew what he was doing, as Zakuani could be a star in MLS or perhaps an EPL player, for a long time to come. And Akron will always love you Steve. Hope you can make it to the College Cup to watch your mates win it. They are #1, after all.