Revs' Nguyen Finalist For MLS MVP; Davies, Jones Also Up For End-Of-Season Awards
BOSTON (CBS) -- A trio of New England Revolution players have been named finalists for Major League Soccer's end-of-the-year awards, headlined by Lee Nguyen and the league's MVP.
With a win, Nguyen would become just the second Revolution player to be named MLS MVP. Taylor Twellman won the award in 2005.
Nguyen was named the Revolution's team MVP after scoring 18 goals in the regular season, the most scored by a New England player since 2002. He led the league with nine game-winning goals, tying him for the second most game-winners in a single season in MLS history. New England was 14-1-2 during the regular season when Nguyen scored a goal or recorded an assist.
Robbie Keane of the LA Galaxy and Obafemi Martins of Seattle Sounders FC are the other nominees for the 2014 MLS MVP award.
Also up for awards are Charlie Davies for Comeback Player of the Year and Jermaine Jones for Newcomer of the Year.
Davies, who is up against Seattle's Stefan Frei and Rodney Wallace of the Portland Timbers, is five years removed from an October 2009 car accident that nearly took his life. After dealing with injuries for the entire preseason and much of the first half of the season, Davies earned a spot in the Revolution starting lineup in late July and held never gave it up the rest of the way. He finished the regular season with three goals and four assists in 18 games, and added two goals and an assist in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against Columbus.
Davies could become the second consecutive Revolution player to win the Comeback Player of the Year award, joining Kevin Alston, who took home the honor in 2013 after his courageous battle with chronic myelogenous leukemia.
Jones gained international fame for his play in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and made an immediate impact with the Revolution after signing with the club on August 24. The midfielder helped New England to a 8-1-1 in the 10 regular season games he played in, and the Revs went 6-0-0 in games that Jones recorded a goal or an assist. He also had an impact on the club's defense with New England giving up more than one goal just twice after his arrival.
The Galaxy's Stefan Ishizaki and Pedro Morales of Vancouver Whitecaps FC are also up for Newcomer of the Year.
The Comeback Player of the Year award will be given out on Tuesday, December 2 while the MVP award and the Newcomer of the Year will be announced on Wednesday, December 3.
The Revolution are back in action Sunday afternoon in the first leg of the Eastern Conference Championship against the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena.
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