Leave it to MLS to miss a slam dunk. As part of their daily unveiling of award winners leading up to the MLS Cup (an idea that I like that they do), the league announced the winners of the Comeback Player of the Year and Coach of the Year. One of these awards was a no-brainer while the other one had reasonable arguments for all of the candidates, but strong arguments in favor of one of the finalists. So MLS of course went with the biggest names and announced that David Beckham and his coach Bruce Arena had won Comeback Player and Coach of the Year, respectively.
The problem was that neither was the most deserving of this award, and in Beckham’s case it wasn’t even close.
Before I explain the error of MLS’s ways I want to make two critical points. The first is that I acknowledge that these votes have multiple components, with front offices and players being involved in the voting. When I say “MLS” I am also criticizing those elements of the vote. Secondly I acknowledge the fact that some of you may criticize my perspective because I am an avowed DC United fan when I am not professionally covering events. I won’t be able to convince some of you otherwise except to say that my opinion is shared by non-DCU writers.
On to the awards, and I’ll start with Comeback Player of the Year. The three finalists for the award were Dominic Oduro (poor 2010 season), David Beckham (2010 Achilles injury), and Charlie Davies (2009 car accident, missed 2010). Beckham edged out Davies for the award in the weighted vote with Oduro trailing by a decent percentage. This is an absolute sham. Statistically speaking, Beckham had a better season than Davies; Beckham was a key midfielder for a team that won the Supporters Shield and almost led the league in assists. Davies tailed off after a great start to the season and by October there were questions as to whether he would even be brought back by DC United. Beckham was the league’s first international superstar, Davies has a great story but by the end was making some questionable PR moves.
That aside, this is not a Player of the Year or Most Photogenic award, this is a comeback award, and it is hard to argue that Davies does not deserve this over the rest of the field. His 2009 car wreck was so horrific his life was in danger potentially and his career certainly was in doubt; he visibly carries the scars with him. The fact that he scored eight goals and carried DC briefly before the De Rosario trade when the prior year he didn’t even play professional soccer is incredible. Granted, he isn’t back to where he was but he has come a long way and his comeback is mighty impressive. Beckham also made a comeback from injury, but that was an Achilles injury probably due to playing overseas plus repeated travel. Some have claimed that Davies did not deserve to win because he did not play in MLS last season; Beckham was hurt playing in Serie A and openly angling for an overseas loan. If prior MLS playing time was a criteria (and it should be stated if so), Geoff Cameron deserves this award. But to give it to Beckham over Davies is a terrible mistake.
Now to Coach of the Year, and this one is less cut and dried. Bruce Arena is undoubtedly a great coach, there is no doubt about that, and to bring this team of immense egos to the finish line in the regular season is a tremendous accomplishment. Phil Jackson was coach of the year in the NBA for a reason. However, on a team where you could solve your striker problem by shedding one designated player to sign another three million dollar a year international, that should count as a strike against your candidacy. That’s not a coaching skill, that’s a competitive advantage.
Let’s now consider the candidacy of Peter Vermes, a coach I put on my hot seat early in the year. For the first few months of the season, Sporting Kansas City did not have a home stadium, and rather than drift down into the bottom of the league the team survived to finish first in the Eastern Conference. There was certainly talent on the team due to some shrewd signings like Omar Bravo, but it was the team’s growth around some young players like C.J. Sapong and Teal Bunbury that really pushed it over the top. Graham Zusi is now being discussed as a potential USMNT call-up and Omar Bravo, while a proven international talent, could have struggled more in integrating himself to MLS like so many others have before him. This was a team that made a lot out of not as much proven talent as LA and Seattle, but still clinched the first seed in the competitive East. Were they a better team than LA and Seattle? No but they made do with less, and that should be a major consideration for Coach of the Year.
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Eric B.
November 16, 2011 at 4:04 pm
Beckham won because the players overwhelmingly voted for him over
Davies. That is enough in my book.
Scott
November 15, 2011 at 10:31 pm
I think the first two words in your headline pretty much sum it up.
Charles
November 15, 2011 at 2:44 pm
We all have biases and I think that Charlies Davies got too much
praise for not stopping a drunk driver and almost killing himself
in the process. So maybe that is my bias on the
table……………but here is something to think
about……………………What if you had a superstar playing in
LaLiga, and he has a down year. I will use Diego Forlan, because if
he came to MLS it would be the troll morons nightmare. He stinks
next year, his team has a really bad year and he is drug down with
them. If he comes to MLS, assuming he isn’t washed up, doesn’t he
crush it ? So then he is comeback player of the year ? I think that
is a little rediculous. It is comparing apples to oranges. They
almost HAVE to play in MLS the year
before………………………Whether the rules say it or not, I
would vote that way.
Chris Riordan
November 15, 2011 at 11:56 am
Here’s where I’m gonna show my non – DC bias. First off … Daniel,
you just pick Beckham because you can’t stand a DCU player getting
an award. I’m gonna pick Beckham because Charlie Davies rubbed me
the wrong way in DC. I’m glad he survived that horrific car
accident and that he can continue his soccer career. However, I get
being passionate and wanting to play, but I felt his whining to
Goff about playing time was unecessary. He also showed character
issues with more than one dive and quite frankly came across
arrogant to me. Just my two cents.
Daniel Feuerstein
November 15, 2011 at 5:52 pm
Chris Riordan, I enjoy your MLS Talk Podcasts. But let me say that
THIS IS NOT AGAINST A DC UNITED PLAYER! You are full of it. Charlie
Davies with DC or not with DC, did not play a single game in MLS in
2010. All his games are in 2011. Charlie Davies come back is an
awesome story, but this is not against him because he played for DC
United. That is a false statement. Charlie Davies is a special
story and I am thankful he is alive and able to play AT ALL! But
while he derserves any comeback award, it’s not in MLS. If US
Soccer had it then yes he gets it. That’s the truth.
Robert Hay
November 15, 2011 at 11:27 am
I’ll offer two additional points to those who disagree on Beckham:
1. The award qualifications do not require a player to have
previously played in MLS. If someone can show me a link, I’ll admit
I am wrong. 2. There is precedent for giving the award to someone
who did not play in MLS the previous year: Troy Dayak who won the
award in 2001 but played in the A-league in 2000 for the San
Francisco Bay Seals. Now he had played in MLS a few years prior but
still he hadn’t played in MLS the year prior.
Roger(Pro/Rel)
November 15, 2011 at 6:46 pm
@Robert Hay………I can show you a link Mr
Hay………………http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/you-be-the-commissioner-what-would-you-change-10911……………….Any
coments?…………..here are two additional points for you . 1. I
know it is not a scientific pool, but its results speak for
themselves. Dont you think that a follow up coment regarding an
issue like promotion and relegation is more important that the
“come back player of the year award”? 2. though not scientific, it
brings very valid questions like: – are those results
representative of a large numbers of fans all around the nation?
Does the pro/rel issue needs more attention? should we make a more
scientific pool? does it means that the fans may have been
underapreciated by our “leadership” all these years?…..you have
not answered any of my previous atempts to get a follow up coment
of an article done by yourself, but you can take time to comment
about the (very unimportant award on my opinion ) “come back player
of the year” ???
Robert
November 16, 2011 at 12:16 am
@robert hay, I think Roger has a point Mr. Hay. Two of the most
popular choices (single table + pro/rel) are not apart of the
league and probably the biggest complaint for MLS fans.
Robert Hay
November 16, 2011 at 7:48 am
All due respect gents, we have promotion/relegation articles here
(http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/promotion-relegation-good-business-for-mls-terrible-business-for-epl-14455)
here
(http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/mls-why-not-some-forward-thinking-12412)
and here
(http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/why-the-english-find-mls-a-strange-experience-12075),
in addition to other articles throughout the years here at MLS
Talk. I think it’s fair to say we cover a wide variety of topics
and address a number of issues of interest to fans, including
promotion/relegation AND other MLS topics like award winners. There
are so many different topics and interesting things in the
American/Canadian soccer world that we have room to discuss them
all, and if you’d like to add another piece on promotion relegation
then get in touch and maybe we can arrange something.
Jjerg
November 15, 2011 at 9:48 am
Beckham played great after he came back from that wedding.
Daniel Feuerstein
November 14, 2011 at 11:26 pm
Sorry Robert, I agree with Dee. Charlie Davies should never have
been in the running because this season was his first season in
MLS. Now if US Soccer had that type of an award for a comeback
player of the year, then he counts.
Charles
November 14, 2011 at 10:44 pm
Arena outcoached Sigi ,second place in the voting, more times than
I can count
Dee
November 14, 2011 at 7:56 pm
Charlie Davies wasn’t a part of the MLS in 2010. It is the main
thing that I feel should have disqualified him from being in the
running to get this award.It should go to someone that was an
official member of the league prior to, during, and after said
injury which resulted in a comeback where the player’s form or
stats improved since said injury. Beckham fits this bill despite
the injury happening in Milan. Oduro turned his season around by
being traded and the becoming a scoring machine where as Charlie
started off hot and then began to ride the bench later in the year.
Charlie’s season regressed but he at least was hurt prior to coming
to MLS whereas Oduro didn’t even have any injury to “comback” from;
and if improved form alone is enough to get you nominated, then
Dewayne DeRosario should’ve been nominated for this thing too as he
started off the year by getting kicked off of 2 teams before he
turned it around in DC. Beckham deserved to get this award because
he actually did make a comeback from something that could have been
career ending and he surpassed his prior form during that return.
As for Bruce Arena let’s not forget that Juan Pablo Angel was on
that team for most of the year stinking up LA’s attack on a
consistent basis and LA’s backline has been rotating players all
year long with only Todd Dunivant being the lone defensive starter
that hasn’t suffered some kind of an injury all year. Arena was
also able to get production out of guys like Chad Barret, Adam
Cristman, Mike Magee and Josh Saunders and then was able to sign a
beast in the form of Robbie Keane who is capable of carrying a team
if ever needed. With the way LA is built though Keane shouldn’t
have to do so as they have won games that mattered without any DP’s
in the lineup. Sigi Schmidt hurt his team’s playoff hopes by
stupidly starting Mauro Rosales in a meaningless game knowing full
well he wasn’t ready to start just yet. He already lost players
this year and the last thing he should have done was stupidly risk
injuring one of the few that help make his team really dangerous.
Vermes on the other hand didn’t even start Omar Bravo (one of his
best players) in a must win game despite the guy being 100% fit.
Bruce Arena hasn’t done anything this dumb all year. As for
Vermes’s record, he did indeed have one of the few solid squads in
a totally weak East conference.That top spot in the East however
constantly shifted all year with Kansas barely squeaking to the top
spot by season’s end. Arena’s team not only owned the top spot in
the West(which is much more competitive) all year long but owned
the top spot of the league all year as well and it did so with all
of the above mentioned issues . LA may be a high spending team but
mismanagement can cost you victories and titles. Just look at the
NY Redbulls or even the NY Yankee as examples to this fact. Arena
deserved to win this thing and to win it easily as far as I’m
concerned.
Alex
November 14, 2011 at 6:17 pm
i agree with the comeback player of the year award arguement but
disagree with the coach of the year. first off in a league plagued
with too much parity bruce arena managed to pick the right players
and lead them to become the superclub they are now. they are
undefeated at home, won the supporters shield (the real
championship btw) all that while balancing CCL. so Bruce arena does
deserve the coach award. now if there was a Comeback coach of the
year award then yea, you’d be correct. beckham? no no no. how can a
name win a award? mls’ biggest marketing tool injured himself while
in Milan. Davies nearly lost his life. i agree this award isnt
based on statistics, its based on how a player faced tremendous
odds to come back and prove himself worthy. for Davies its
surviving a car accident, recovering from therapy and being a key
player for United. for beckham it was wearing a tight suit while
christmas shopping in milan. my guess is they gave that award to
beckham to please him into staying one more year in MLS. MLS is
just one big fat conspiracy. .
dan
November 14, 2011 at 5:20 pm
You are such an anti-LA bandwagoner! This article is just
ridiculous How can you say that any other coach is more deserving
than Arena? He led the team to being UNDEFEATED at home this whole
season, they won their CCL group, the supporters shield, AND they
might have the MLS Cup. Arena has built this Galaxy team to easily
be considered among the best, if not the best, MLS team ever. Bitch
all you want about who has players with highest wages, etc but a
coach has to coach regardless of who is on his team and it shows
even more talent that he can have 3 DPs on his team and still have
the best defense in the league, 2 of the best goalkeepers in the
league (Saunders he got personally to the Galaxy), and then the
best depth in the league! As for Beckham, he was absolutely
phenomenal this year. To argue if he is a “comeback” player or not
is another thing alone and I can respect opinions on both sides.
Davies sure was injured but he was a fringe player at best and when
DeRo joined United he was completely thrown to the bench, you have
to have an impact to be considered a top player in any regard.
Bitter much?