It's been a week or so, hasn't it? Anyway, a bit of a break on my part for no reason in particular, but it's been refreshing. We've got the MLS Cup to watch tomorrow if you can bear it, and while I'd rather not watch it without our boys in it, I suppose that's what we've got on the cards. Bitterness won't get me very far, at any rate.
Right, so I realize that I've somehow not named my Player of the Year, though I doubt it'll come as any surprise if you've watched more than a match or two over the course of the season. I'd like to run through some of the contenders, and I'll finish with the man I'm naming as that player. And yes, while I'm sure I could word it more strangely, I don't think that's prudent. Right?
I could have named Nick Rimando, who was one of the best goalkeepers in the league as usual — but, of course, with the retirement of Kasey Keller (off to wear his sweatpants in peace, I suppose), he had no chance of winning the big prize. We certainly conceded too many goals this season, but I can think of only a few instances where he was genuinely at fault, and he's crucial to our ability to play in our system when we're at our best. But how often does a goalkeeper win those Player of the Year awards? I do think he could have been better (but only slightly, if I'm to be honest,) but given the struggles we faced throughout the campaign, he was one of the very brightest spots in our side.
I could have named Nat Borchers or perhaps Jamison Olave, both of whom were magnificent when they were together — why I call them Borlave should come as no mystery, given their brilliance as a unit — but to name either would ignore the other, and, like my not naming Nick, they've got to bear some of the load for our conceded goals. To be clear, I think those problems were team problems and not individual problems, and that shouldn't ding either too much, but it's got to play a role.
I could have named Fabian Espindola, who was a tireless worker up front. It didn't much matter the scoreline: Fabian was running, running, running. Of all the players on the pitch, he was the one most visibly unwilling to settle for a loss or a draw, and while appearances aren't everything, he was certainly a bright spot from a fans' perspective. He best stay, or else… (I'm pretty confident he'll stay, actually.)
I could have named anyone, but this player was a clear and easy choice for me. He led the side ably — the armband made no difference — and was always looking to push the boys on to bigger and better things. That he made his way back into his national team speaks loads about his tactical sensibilities, and even when you sense that he could use a few days' rest, he's always looking aware. It is, of course, Kyle Beckerman — as if it could have been anyone else — the man who, I think, makes our system at all possible.
I've written over and over about the role Kyle plays, and I won't bore you with that right now, but it's not something you can always mark by an easy statistic. It's not always a role that means he makes the most passes on the pitch, and it's not always that he'll provide the most assists for the side (but he did, that beautiful dreadlocked man), but he's the linchpin of our side.
I know that's a bit typical to say, but it's absolutely the case. You take him out, and we're not the same side, and we have to make big adjustments to make up for it. It takes a very certain sort of player and person to play the role, and he does it week-in-week-out. With the tools he's added to his game this season — better free kicks, for one, and some nice long shots, for another — he helped to make up for the absence of our playmaker-in-chief, Javier Morales, and I'm firmly convinced we've got him to thank for our third-place position this season.
So, let's hope he was a great experience training with FC Kaiserslautern and comes back mentally and physically refreshed for the start of our season. He's at the peak of his career, and it's time he wins a few more trophies in the Claret and Cobalt.
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