Parkhurst Wins MLS Defender Of The Year, EJ Comeback Player

Amid all the hullabaloo over Bruce Arena's resignation/dismissal, it was easy to miss a pair of individual player awards MLS handed out yesterday. New England's Michael Parkhurst was named MLS Defender of the Year (there is some corporate sponsorship attached to all of these awards but I'm not going to bother with that. Maybe if Visa pays me to I will) and Kansas City's Eddie Johnson won the Comeback Player of the Year accolade.

The league's choices are consistent with those of MLS fans, as gauged by polls taken on this Web site. Parkhurst received 66% of votes, significantly more than the other nominees (Chivas' Claudio Suarez received 22% and Houston's Eddie Robinson 11%). Johnson (44%) edged Frankie Hejduk (38%), with Pat Noonan a more distant third (16%) in the comeback player category.

There was a third award handed out yesterday, for MLS Referee of the Year. That went to Brian Hall. Asked for their opinion on this category in the days leading up to MLS' announcement, 95% of respondents chose the "Who cares? They all suck" option. From this I gather that MLS fans either don't really care much for the category, or think MLS refs generally suck. Or both.