Maurice Edu, Preki Win MLS Accolades

Toronto F.C.'s Maurice Edu was named Major League Soccer Rookie of the Year, with Chivas' Preki taking Coach of the Year honors, the league announced today. Preki, who earned his coaching stripes as an assistant to current U.S. men's national team coach Bob Bradley, is no stranger to MLS awards, having won its MVP award twice (the only player to have done so). It's the second year in a row a Chivas USA coach has won the award (Bradley won last year). The win puts Edu in pretty prestigious company, as a list of past recipients demonstrates:

2007: Maurice Edu - Toronto FC
2006: Jonathan Bornstein - Chivas USA
2005: Michael Parkhurst - New England Revolution
2004: Clint Dempsey - New England Revolution
2003: Damani Ralph - Chicago Fire
2002: Kyle Martino - Columbus Crew
2001: Rodrigo Faria - MetroStars
2000: Carlos Bocanegra - Chicago Fire
1999: Jay Heaps - Miami Fusion
1998: Ben Olsen - D.C. United
1997: Mike Duhaney - Tampa Bay Mutiny
1996: Steve Ralston - Tampa Bay Mutiny

Once again, the Soccer Source poll proved prescient, with a majority of respondents favoring Edu and Preki over the other nominees in their respective categories: Edu took 58% of the rookie poll, followed by Dane Richards (25%) and Adam Cristman (15%). Preki had a 75% share of that category's poll, far ahead of Tom Soehn and Kinnear.