Hassoun Camara receives Defensive player of the year award
MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact announced on Friday that Argentine midfielder Ignacio Piatti has been named the recipient of the Giuseppe Saputo Trophy as Impact Most Valuable Player in 2016, his second in as many years, while defender Hassoun Camara was named Impact Defensive player of the year.
In his third season with the Impact, Piatti followed on his successful 2015 season, helping the team reach the MLS Cup Playoffs for a second year in a row, finishing the regular season tied for third in MLS with 17 goals and five game-winning goals in 32 games and 2,818 minutes of play, including 31 starts. He recorded three multi-goal games and scored three goals from the penalty spot.
Piatti was named the MLS Player of the Week for the 10th week of activity and was selected eight times to the MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week. He also won the AT&T Goal of the Week five times while being nominated another four times. He was selected eight times as the Videotron Mobile player of the game by the fans, three times as the Members’ Player of the Month and won the Members’ Goal of the Month another five times throughout the season.
The Argentine Designated Player appeared in his first career AT&M MLS All-Star Game, on July 28 against English club Arsenal.
He then helped the Impact reach the Eastern Conference Final, tallying four goals and two assists in five starts during the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Defender Hassoun Camara was chosen Defensive player of the year, earning his second career award with the Bleu-blanc-noir after being named Most Valuable Player in 2011, then playing in the NASL.
After missing most of the 2015 season, Camara made a strong comeback recording two goals and two assists in 27 games and 2,246 minutes, including 26 starts. The five-year MLS veteran once again showed his versatility within the Montreal defence throughout the season, excelling as much as a full-back as a centre-back.
He was named once to the MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week and was selected three times as the Videotron Mobile player of the game by the fans and twice as the Members’ Player of the Month.
Camara became the first player in Impact history to reach 100 MLS starts with the team on August 20 against the Chicago Fire and current ranks first in Impact MLS history with 108 starts and 9,629 minutes played, second with 116 games played, tied for eighth with eight assists and tied for 10th with seven goals.
He also started all five games with the team in the 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs.
The MVP and Defensive player of the year were selected by the club’s technical staff.
Giuseppe Saputo Trophy recipients (MLS):
2016 : Ignacio Piatti
2015 : Ignacio Piatti
2014 : Andrés Romero
2013 : Marco Di Vaio
2012 : Patrice Bernier
Defensive Player of the Year (MLS):
2016 : Hassoun Camara
2015 : Laurent Ciman
