SEATTLE, WASH. – Major League Soccer today announced that Seattle Sounders FC midfielder Nicolás Lodeiro has been named 2016 MLS Newcomer of the Year. Lodeiro becomes the third Seattle player to earn the honor after bursting on to the MLS scene and leading Sounders FC’s dramatic late-season turnaround, recording four goals and eight assists in 13 appearances. The Rave Green were 7-2-4 with Lodeiro on the field after the Uruguayan Designated Player signed with Sounders FC on July 27 from Argentine power Boca Juniors. MLS Newcomer of the Year recognizes the season’s most impactful player who made his debut in MLS but has prior professional experience.
“I am really happy, thank you to everyone who voted for me. The most important thing is that I earned this award because of the team,” said Lodeiro. “Without them, none of this would have been possible and it gives me strength to continue to work. As my coach says and my teammates say, ‘We are not finished yet.’”
After making his MLS debut in a 1-1 draw versus the LA Galaxy on July 31, Lodeiro led the Rave Green back into the postseason, with the club taking on the Colorado Rapids in the Western Conference Championship this week. The 27-year-old midfielder recorded a streak of eight appearances with a goal or assist, including a pair of two-assist performances against Orlando City SC on August 7 and at the Portland Timbers on August 28, while also adding a goal and an assist versus Real Salt Lake on August 14. Lodeiro was voted Etihad Airways MLS Player of the Month for August after the Uruguayan international recorded two goals and six assists in the month, leading Sounders FC to a 3-1-1 record. Overall, the Rave Green were 7-2-4 in Lodeiro’s 13 MLS regular-season appearances, as the Uruguayan finished with four goals and eight assists, tied for the team-lead.
“All of the credit for this award goes to Nico, who has been arguably the best mid-season addition in the history of this league. His preparation before coming to Seattle was as good as any player I’ve ever worked with, and it immediately showed that he was familiar with both our team and this league before arriving,” said Sounders FC General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey. “He’s incredibly motivated and exceptionally hard-working, and his effort on the field is only matched by his preparation off the field. His influence in our locker room has been a key component to our team’s turnaround and we couldn’t be happier to have a player like Nico in our organization.”
The Newcomer of the Year Award recognizes players with previous professional experience, which makes rookies ineligible for consideration. Similarly, players eligible for Newcomer of the Year are ineligible for Rookie of the Year. The award was voted on by MLS club management, media, and current MLS players. Below is a breakdown of the voting results:
<strong>PLAYER</strong> |
<strong>PLAYER VOTE %</strong> |
<strong>MEDIA VOTE %</strong> |
<strong>CLUB VOTE %</strong> |
<strong>AVERAGE %</strong> |
<p>Nicolás Lodeiro</p> |
<p>36.49%</p> |
<p>39.05%</p> |
<p>35.14%</p> |
<p>36.89%</p> |
<p>Ola Kamara</p> |
<p>18.92%</p> |
<p>20.95%</p> |
<p>25.68%</p> |
<p>21.85%</p> |
<p>Jelle Van Damme</p> |
<p>9.46%</p> |
<p>20.00%</p> |
<p>8.11%</p> |
<p>12.52%</p> |
<p>Shkëlzen Gashi</p> |
<p>10.14%</p> |
<p>8.57%</p> |
<p>10.81%</p> |
<p>9.84%</p> |
“Nico came to our team at a difficult point in our season and made an instant impact on and off the field,” said Sounders FC Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “He’s a big reason why we were able to turn this season around and get to the point that we are today. This award is very well-deserved and we look forward to a lot more success for him and our team going forward.”
His success has carried into the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs, with Lodeiro recording three goals while playing all 270 minutes of postseason action for Seattle. Lodeiro scored the first postseason brace in club history in a 3-0 home win over FC Dallas in the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinals before securing the crucial road goal in the second leg as the Rave Green advanced 4-2 on aggregate, and his three goals match the club’s all-time postseason record.
Lodeiro is the second Sounders FC player to earn a 2016 MLS postseason award after forward Jordan Morris was named 2016 AT&T MLS Rookie of the Year after scoring 12 goals in his first pro campaign. Prior to this season, the club has previously seen five players earn MLS postseason awards, including two Newcomer of the Year honors. Fredy Montero was named Newcomer of the Year in 2009, Mauro Rosales Newcomer of the Year in 2011, Kasey Keller Goalkeeper of the Year in 2011, Eddie Johnson Comeback Player of the Year in 2012 and Chad Marshall Defender of the Year in 2014.
A regular on the Uruguayan National Team, Lodeiro has career 51 international caps and appeared in both the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, as well as the 2012 Olympic Games in London. He has also appeared in three Copa America tournaments, most recently representing Uruguay at the 2016 Copa America Centenario. Lodeiro led Uruguay to the 2011 Copa America championship with a win in the final over Paraguay.
Lodeiro joined Sounders FC following a decade of professional experience in South America and Europe. After coming up through the youth system of Uruguayan side Nacional, Lodeiro made his professional debut with the club as an 18-year-old in 2007, where he played three seasons before moving to Dutch side Ajax, helping the club to its 31st Eredivisie title. Lodeiro moved back to South America in 2007, joining Botafogo in the Brazilian topflight for three seasons and leading the Rio de Janeiro-based club to its first Copa Libertadores appearance in 18 years. After moving to Corinthians for one season, Lodeiro signed with storied Argentine side Boca Juniors in 2015 and led los Xeneizes to the Argentine Primera División title and a Round of 16 appearance at the Copa Libertadores.
Seattle now heads into the Western Conference Championship, with the first leg against Colorado scheduled for tomorrow on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field (7:00 p.m. PT / FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM). The return leg is being played at Colorado's Dick's Sporting Goods Park at 1:00 p.m. PT on Sunday, November 27.
The Conference Championship is held over two legs, with aggregate goals determining which team moves on to the 2016 MLS Cup. In the event that both teams score an equal number of goals over the course of the two matches, the team with the greater number of road goals for the series advances. Should the series be tied for both total goals and away goals, the teams play two 15-minute periods of extra time at the conclusion of the second leg in which away goals do not count. This is followed by penalty kicks, if necessary, to determine the winner.
ALL-TIME MLS NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR WINNERS
2016: Nicolás Lodeiro – Seattle Sounders FC
2015: Sebastian Giovinco – Toronto FC
2014: Pedro Morales – Vancouver Whitecaps FC
2013: Diego Valeri – Portland Timbers
2012: Federico Higuain – Columbus Crew
2011: Mauro Rosales – Seattle Sounders FC
2010: Alvaro Saborio – Real Salt Lake
2009: Fredy Montero – Seattle Sounders FC
2008: Darren Huckerby – San Jose Earthquakes
2007: Luciano Emilio – D.C. United
