Chivas USA announces 2008 team award winners

Published on October 23, 2008 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club Deportivo Chivas USA News Release


CARSON, Calif. (Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008) - With one regular-season match to play before the MLS Cup Playoffs, Chivas USA announced today its annual Team Award Winners for the 2008 Major League Soccer season. This year's winners - Claudio Suárez, Paulo Nagamura, Jonathan Bornstein and 2008 team MVP Sacha Kljestan - will be officially recognized at midfield this Saturday, Oct. 25 before Chivas USA's game against the Houston Dynamo at The Home Depot Center (kickoff 7:30 p.m. PT).

Claudio Suárez, Chivas USA's Defender of the Year in 2006 and 2007, heads the list with his third consecutive team award, this time as winner of the Chivas Regal Award, for the player "who best represents the spirit of Chivas USA." Suárez is succeeded as Defender of the Year by the 2008 winner, defensive midfielder Paulo Nagamura. Los Alamitos native Jonathan Bornstein, in his third year with the club, was named U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year. Finally, midfielder Sacha Kljestan joins the elite company of Ramón Ramírez (2005), Ante Razov (2006), and Brad Guzan (2007) as Chivas USA's Most Valuable Player for 2008.

One award remains up in the air, however: Chivas USA's Budweiser Golden Boot, given to the player with the most goals on the season. Three players are currently tied for the team goalscoring lead, with 5 apiece: Sacha Kljestan, Ante Razov, and Alecko Eskandarian. Any of the trio could take the lead in Chivas USA's final regular-season game, as its faces the Houston Dynamo this Saturday, Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m. PT. The first tiebreaker for the Golden Boot Award is assists, and Kljestan (7) currently leads Razov (6) and Eskandarian (2) in that category. The second tiebreaker is goals per minute played, in which Razov currently holds an edge over Kljestan.

Below is a complete list of Chivas USA's Team Award Winners, along with player-by-player capsules:

Chivas USA 2008 Team Award Winners

Most Valuable Player: Sacha Kljestan. The busiest season of third-year Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan's budding MLS career has also been his best, as the Huntington Beach, Calif. native is currently tied for the team lead in goals (5) and leads the Red-and-White with 7 assists. Kljestan has played in just 21 matches (20 as a starter) for Chivas USA this season, and also started every game for the Red-and-White played in non-league competition (U.S. Open Cup, SuperLiga, CONCACAF Champions League). Meanwhile, the 23-year-old has come into his own on the international stage, scoring twice for the U.S. at the Olympics in August. Kljestan has also been called up to the senior U.S. National Team for each of its seven World Cup Qualifiers this year, appearing in five.

Defender of the Year: Paulo Nagamura. Throughout the 2008 season, Paulo Nagamura has played an important role as a defensive midfielder, responsible for breaking up opposing teams' attacks, and connecting the defense with the rest of the team. With tough tackles and hard-nosed play, the Brazilian, in his second year with Chivas USA and fourth in MLS, has played 23 matches for the Red-and-White, starting all 23, and adding 2 goals and 3 assists.

Chivas Regal Award: Claudio Suárez. Awarded to the player "who best represents the spirit of Chivas USA", Mexico's all-time caps leader continues to demonstrate his importance as a team leader both on and off the field. During a season in which Chivas USA has been plagued by injuries, Suárez has shown his spirit and grit in fighting through his own bumps and bruises, limiting him to 13 games (12 starts), all as the Red-and-White's captain. A legend of Mexican soccer and MLS, Suárez truly represents the spirit of Chivas USA.

U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year: Jonathan Bornstein. Always the first to volunteer his time to a cause, 2006 Rookie of the Year and Southern California native Jonathan Bornstein has proven himself a true humanitarian this year for the Red-and-White. The third-year defender from Los Alamitos, Calif. has been the team's spokesman for the Passback Program, helping the U.S. Soccer Foundation charity donate soccer equipment to teams and players in need all over the world. Bornstein also took a leading role in the team's partnership with the Michael Hoefflin Foundation, helping raise money for the local charity for children with cancer.

Budweiser Golden Boot: ??? Three players are currently tied for the team lead in goals (with 5): Kljestan, Razov, and Alecko Eskandarian. Any of the trio could take the lead in Chivas USA's last regular-season game, versus the Houston Dynamo this Saturday, Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m. PT. The first tiebreaker for the Golden Boot is assists, and Kljestan (7) currently leads Razov (6) and Eskandarian (2) in that category. The second tiebreaker is goals per minute played, in which Razov currently holds the edge over Kljestan.

Chivas USA Team Award Winners Year-by-Year

Most Valuable Player

2005: Ramón Ramírez

2006: Ante Razov

2007: Brad Guzan

2008: Sacha Kljestan

Defender of the Year

2005: Brad Guzan

2006: Claudio Suárez

2007: Claudio Suárez

2008: Paulo Nagamura

Chivas Regal Award

2005: Ramón Ramírez

2006: Francisco Mendoza

2007: Jesse Marsch

2008: Claudio Suárez

U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year

2005: Ezra Hendrickson

2006: Tim Regan

2007: Brad Guzan

2008: Jonathan Bornstein

Budweiser Golden Boot (# of goals)

2005: Héctor Cuadros (4)

2006: Ante Razov (14)

2007: Maykel Galindo (12)

2008: ??? (5+)

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