MONTREAL – Major League Soccer announced Tuesday that Impact defender Laurent Ciman is one of three finalists for Defender of the Year, while striker Didier Drogba is a finalist for MLS Newcomer of the Year.
In his first season with the Impact, Ciman quickly imposed himself on the team’s backline, helping the club to its best showing in its young MLS history with 44 goals allowed this season, five less than 2013 and 14 less than last season.
The Belgium international also tallied two goals and two assists, finishing second on the team with 2,405 minutes and third with 27 starts. He also started both games for the Impact in the MLS Cup Playoffs so far.
He was selected to the 2015 MLS All-Star Game, wearing the captain’s armband during the second half against English club Tottenham Hotspur F.C. He was also named three times to the MLSSoccer.com Team of the Week and six times as the Videotron mobile Player of the Game.
Acquired in late July, Didier Drogba concluded the season with 11 goals, including four game-winning goals, in 11 games (nine starts) and 870 minutes. He led MLS with an average of 1.14 goals per 90 minutes and recorded three multi-goal games, including a hat trick in his first MLS start, against Chicago. He was chosen the MLS Player of the Month for both September and October.
In September, Drogba recorded seven goals, including two game-winning goals, and one assist in five starts. He helped the Bleu-blanc-noir establish a new MLS club record six-game unbeaten streak (4-0-2). He was named MLS Player of the Week on two occasions, was named to the MLSSoccer.com Team of the Week three times and won the MLS AT&T Goal of the Week twice. He was also selected as the Videotron mobile Player of the Game four times.
In October, he scored four goals in five games to help the Impact finish third in the Eastern Conference. He then added a goal in two MLS Cup Playoffs starts.
2015 Major League Soccer Awards Finalists
(Listed in alphabetical order by last name within each award category)
Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player Finalists
Benny Feilhaber (Sporting Kansas City)
Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto FC)
Kei Kamara (Columbus Crew SC)
AT&T Rookie of the Year Finalists
Fatai Alashe (San Jose Earthquakes)
Cyle Larin (Orlando City SC)
Matt Polster (Chicago Fire)
Best player without previous professional experience who made his MLS debut in 2015.
Defender of the Year Finalists
Laurent Ciman (Montreal Impact)
Matt Hedges (FC Dallas)
Kendall Waston (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
Coach of the Year Finalists
Jesse Marsch (New York Red Bulls)
Oscar Pareja (FC Dallas)
Carl Robinson (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
Comeback Player of the Year Finalists
Tim Melia (Sporting Kansas City)
Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC)
Diego Valeri (Portland Timbers)
Honors a player who has overcome injuries and/or adversity in order to achieve success during the 2015 regular season.
Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year Finalists
Bill Hamid (D.C. United)
David Ousted (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
Luis Robles (New York Red Bulls)
Newcomer of the Year Finalists
Didier Drogba (Montreal Impact)
Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto FC)
Mike Grella (New York Red Bulls)
Best player with previous professional experience who made his MLS debut in 2015.
MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year, presented by Advocare, Finalists
Jeb Brovsky (New York City FC)
Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC)
Kei Kamara (Columbus Crew SC)
MLS Fair Play Finalists – Individuals
Nat Borchers (Portland Timbers)
Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers)
Marvell Wynne (San Jose Earthquakes)
MLS Fair Play Finalists - Teams*
LA Galaxy
Philadelphia Union
Seattle Sounders FC
Referee of the Year Finalists
Alan Kelly
Jair Marrufo
Baldomero Toledo
Assistant Referee of the Year Finalists
George Gansner
Peter Manikowski
Corey Parker
Awards Announcements Schedule:
Schedule subject to change
November 5: MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year, presented by Advocare
November 6: MLS Referee / Assistant Referee of the Year, Fair Play Award – Individual and Team.
November 10: AT&T Rookie of the Year
November 11: MLS Defender of the Year
November 18: MLS Comeback Player of the Year
November 19: Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year
November 23: Newcomer of the Year
November 24: MLS Coach of the Year
November 29: MLS Best XI
December 2: Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player
December 3: AT&T Goal of the Year, MLS Save of the Year
