2004 A-League Coach of the Year, MVP Finalists announced

Published on September 15, 2004 under USL First Division (USL-1) News Release


TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues announced Wednesday the top two finalists for 2004 A-League Coach of the Year and the top three finalists for the Most Valuable Player. Both awards will be announced at the A-League Championship Banquet in Montreal Thursday evening.

First-year Montreal Impact head coach Nick DeSantis and Portland Timbers boss Bobby Howe are the finalists for the A-League Coach of the Year honor.

In his debut as a head coach after two seasons as player/assistant coach for defensive guru Bob Lilley, DeSantis picked up right where the club left off in 2003 and led the team to a record season in 2004 as the team broke Rochester's 1998 single-season shutout record of 18 with 19 during the regular season. The club went on to record three more in four postseason games for 22 of 32 games on the year. The club's 15 goals allowed tied Rochester's 1998 league record for the fewest in a season of 21 or more games. For the second straight year, the team finished runners up for the regular season title.

The Timbers' only head coach, Howe had a breakout season, leading the club to a team-best 18-7-3 mark for the regular season league title. The Timbers led the league in offense with 58 goals on the season, 14 more than second place Milwaukee and Richmond. The team also ranked sixth in the league in fewest goals allowed (30). Through four seasons, Howe has yet to have a losing campaign with a career regular season record of 59-40-11.

The three finalists for Most Valuable Player are Portland's Alan Gordon, Montreal's Greg Sutton and Virginia Beach's Dante Washington.

Gordon, also a finalist for Rookie of the Year, finished tied with Washington for the Goal Scoring Championship with 17 goals on the season. He ranked third in points with 35. Also drafted by the Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS, Gordon was recently loaned to the club for the remainder of the 2004 season.

Sutton won the Goalkeeper of the Year honor for the second straight season. He had a record year, tying former Rochester Rhinos netminder Pat Onstad's 1998 league record of 16 shutouts in a season as the Impact went on to break the 1998 team shutout record of 18 held by the Rhinos. He has since gone on to record three shutouts in four playoff matches as well. Sutton's league-low goals against average of 0.54, which earned him the Goalkeeper of the Year honor, is the third lowest in A-League history for a season of 20 or more games. Onstad, last year's Major League Soccer Goalkeeper of the Year, finished the 1998 campaign at 0.50 for the second lowest mark with current US National Team goalkeeper Kasey Keller holding the record at 0.36 for his 1989 season with FC Portland.

Washington became the second straight player to finish as the Scoring Champion from a team that did not qualify for the postseason. Last year, Pittsburgh's Thiago Martins was the first player to do so since 1990 when Chance Fry of the Seattle Storm led the league in points. Washington, who was third last season, finished the season with 40 points on 17 goals and six assists. He also finished in a tie with Portland's rookie striker Alan Gordon for the Goal Scoring Championship with 17 on the season. Washington was second in goal scoring last season with 18.

Both awards, as well as the Rookie and Defender of the Year, are voted on by the league's coaches and general managers.

The A-League Championship is Saturday, September 18 in Montreal at Claude Robillard Sports Complex and will be broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports World at 7:00 pm ET.

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USL First Division Stories from September 15, 2004


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