SEATTLE, WASH. – Seattle Sounders FC today announced its 2022 team award recipients, as voted on by the club’s players and technical staff at the conclusion of the MLS regular season. Stefan Frei was voted Most Valuable Player for the second time, after previously winning the award in 2018, while Yeimar Gómez Andrade was voted the club’s Defender of the Year for the third-consecutive season. Raúl Ruidíaz took home Seattle’s Golden Boot title for the fifth-straight year after leading the club with nine goals in the regular season. Frei was also named the club’s Humanitarian of the Year for the second-consecutive season and fourth overall.
SOUNDERS FC MOST VALUABLE PLAYER & HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR – STEFAN FREI
Frei wins his second Sounders FC Team MVP in 2022, recording 85 saves with a 69.1 save percentage in 27 regular-season starts. The goalkeeper notably moved into third place in MLS history with 91 regular-season shutouts, sitting only behind Nick Rimando (154) and Kevin Hartman (112). He was named 2022 Concacaf Champions League Player of the Tournament and Goalkeeper of the Tournament following Sounders FC’s historic title-winning run this season, starting all eight games and allowing just five goals, tallying four shutouts and 26 saves. Frei also won Team MVP in 2018, as well as Defender of the Year in 2015.
Following yet another year of heading-up charitable efforts all over the greater Seattle area, Frei earns his fourth Humanitarian of the Year award, previously winning in 2018, 2019 and 2021. He used his art skills to help design a wine label for Elsom Cellars to help fundraise for Washington Youth Soccer, as well as a GlassyBaby to benefit childhood cancer research. He helped launch the third edition of the “You Shall Not Pass” scarf to raise funds again childhood cancer research. An avid gamer, Frei donated electronics and video game equipment to Seattle Children’s, personal items to RAVE Foundation, Contrib and STG DOORS. He was captain of the TreeKeeper program that aims to preserve the Brazilian rainforest and move tree species off the endangered list. This season, Sounders FC Humanitarian of the Year was voted on by Season Ticket Members as part of the Sounders Ballot, the club’s signature Democracy in Sports initiative.
SOUNDERS FC DEFENDER OF THE YEAR OF THE YEAR – YEIMAR GÓMEZ ANDRADE
Yeimar wins his third Sounders FC Defender of the Year award in as many seasons since joining the club prior to the 2020 campaign. He started 26 of 28 regular-season appearances in 2022 and led MLS with 75 interceptions, ranked 10th with 121 clearances and tied for 14th with 59 headed clearances. The Colombian international appeared on the bench for two of Columbia’s 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying matches in 2022.
SOUNDERS FC GOLDEN BOOT – RAÚL RUIDÍAZ
Ruidíaz becomes the first player in club history to win five Sounders FC Golden Boot titles after leading the club with nine regular-season goals in 2022 (no other player has earned more than three). He also added three goals in Seattle’s Concacaf Champions League tournament run this year, including two in the second leg of the final, giving him 12 strikes across all competitions in 2022. The Peruvian now ranks first in club history with 59 career MLS regular-season goals and second with 73 across all competitions (Fredy Montero, 76). Ruidíaz’s play this year earned him a selection in the 2022 MLS All-Star game, where he scored the game-winning goal against the Liga MX All-Stars.
Sounders FC finished the season with a 12-17-5 record, good enough for 11th place in the Western Conference, missing the playoffs for the first time in its fourteen-year history. The club heads into the offseason with its sights set on the 2023 season, which begins with the FIFA Club World Cup.
SOUNDERS FC HISTORICAL TEAM AWARDS WINNERS
2022
MVP: Stefan Frei
Defender: Yeimar Gómez Andrade
Humanitarian: Stefan Frei
Golden Boot: Raúl Ruidíaz
2021
MVP: João Paulo
Defender: Yeimar Gómez Andrade
Humanitarian: Stefan Frei
Golden Boot: Raúl Ruidíaz
2020
MVP: Jordan Morris
Defender: Yeimar Gómez Andrade
Humanitarian: Cristian Roldan
Golden Boot: Raúl Ruidíaz
2019
MVP: Jordan Morris
Defender: Stefan Frei
Humanitarian: Stefan Frei
Golden Boot: Raúl Ruidíaz
2018
MVP: Stefan Frei
Defender: Chad Marshall
Humanitarian: Stefan Frei
Golden Boot: Raúl Ruidíaz
2017
MVP: Cristian Roldan
Defender: Chad Marshall
Humanitarian: Jordan Morris
Golden Boot: Clint Dempsey
2016
MVP: Osvaldo Alonso
Defender: Chad Marshall
Humanitarian: Jordan Morris
Golden Boot: Jordan Morris
2015
MVP: Obafemi Martins
Defender: Stefan Frei
Humanitarian: Brad Evans
Golden Boot: Obafemi Martins
2014
MVP: Obafemi Martins
Defender: Chad Marshall
Humanitarian: Dylan Remick
Golden Boot: Obafemi Martins
2013
MVP: Osvaldo Alonso
Defender: Leo Gonzalez
Humanitarian: Lamar Neagle
Golden Boot: Eddie Johnson
2012
MVP: Osvaldo Alonso
Defender: Jeff Parke
Humanitarian: David Estrada
Golden Boot: Eddie Johnson
2011
MVP: Osvaldo Alonso
Defender: Jeff Parke
Humanitarian: James Riley
Golden Boot: Fredy Montero
2010
MVP: Osvaldo Alonso
Defender: James Riley
Humanitarian: James Riley
Golden Boot: Fredy Montero
2009
MVP: Kasey Keller
Defender: Tyrone Marshall
Humanitarian: Taylor Graham
Golden Boot: Fredy Montero
