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Ibrahimovic Wins AT&T MLS Goal of the Year; Frei Garners MLS Save of the Year

November 13, 2018 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


NEW YORK - Major League Soccer announced today that LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic has earned the 2018 AT&T MLS Goal of the Year for his blistering first MLS goal against the Los Angeles Football Club. Additionally, Seattle Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei has garnered the 2018 MLS Save of the Year for his quick-reflex stop against the Colorado Rapids on July 4.

The winners were unveiled on a special MLS ExtraTime Live awards show on MLSsoccer.com. Fans selected from 16 Goal of the Year nominees and 16 Save of the Year nominees via online voting.

Sweden icon Ibrahimovic's MLS debut on March 31 was one for the storybooks. Down by a goal in the 77th minute against crosstown rival LAFC, Ibrahimovic unleashed a 40-yard, right-footed equalizer over LAFC goalkeeper Tyler Miller and into the back of the net to create a frenzy at StubHub Center. The wondergoal tied the score at 3-3, and it was only the beginning of the Zlatan craze as he then headed home the winner in stoppage time for a 4-3 victory. Also among the MLS Goal of the Year nominees was Ibrahimovic's 500th career goal (combining professional and international tallies), a martial-arts-like sweeping kick against Toronto FC on Sept. 15.

The top-voted save of 2018 was Frei's full-stretch, left-glove stop against the Colorado Rapids on July 4 that ultimately served as major turning point for Seattle's season. An unmarked Shkëlzen Gashi had a clear view of the frame from the right side of the box and shot toward the near right post in the 82nd minute. Frei reacted quickly, diving to his left and parrying the ball out for a corner kick to maintain a 2-1 advantage, and Sounders FC ended up winning by that score line. The match started an impressive 12-game unbeaten streak that carried Sounders FC into the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs for a 10th consecutive season.

The AT&T Goal of the Year and MLS Save of the Year were determined by fan votes on MLSsoccer.com. The Goal of the Year has been awarded since the league's inaugural 1996 season and the Save of the Year was established starting in 2009.

All-time MLS Goal of the Year winners:

2018: Zlatan Ibrahimovic - LA Galaxy | 3/31/18 vs. Los Angeles Football Club, 77th minute

2017: Héctor Villalba - Atlanta United | 7/21/17 vs. Orlando City SC, 86th minute

2016: Shkëlzen Gashi - Colorado Rapids | 9/24/16 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 75th minute

2015: Krisztián Németh - Sporting Kansas City | 10/4/15 vs. Portland Timbers, 83rd minute

2014: Obafemi Martins - Seattle Sounders FC | 5/23/14 vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 8th minute

2013: Camilo Sanvezzo - Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 10/6/13 vs. Portland Timbers, 78th minute

2012: Patrick Ianni - Seattle Sounders FC | 6/20/12 vs. Sporting Kansas City, 15th minute

2011: Darlington Nagbe - Portland Timbers | 7/2/11 vs. Sporting Kansas City, 45th minute

2010: Marco Pappa - Chicago Fire | 4/10/10 vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 52nd minute

2009: Landon Donovan - LA Galaxy | 8/8/09 vs. New England Revolution, 21st minute

2008: Will Johnson - Real Salt Lake | 10/18/08 vs. FC Dallas, 54th minute

2007: Cuauhtémoc Blanco - Chicago Fire | 8/18/07 vs. Real Salt Lake, 43rd minute

2006: Brian Ching - Houston Dynamo | 9/30/06 v D.C. United, 86th minute

2005: Dwayne De Rosario - San Jose Earthquakes | 10/15/05 vs. LA Galaxy, 45th minute

2004: Dwayne De Rosario - San Jose Earthquakes | 8/7/04 vs. D.C. United, 82nd minute

2003: Damani Ralph - Chicago Fire | 8/13/03 vs. Columbus Crew SC, 90th minute

2002: Carlos Ruiz - LA Galaxy | 7/27/02 vs. Columbus Crew SC, 75th minute

2001: Clint Mathis - MetroStars | 4/28/01 vs. Dallas Burn, 60th minute

2000: Marcelo Balboa - Colorado Rapids | 4/22/00 vs. Columbus Crew SC, 55th minute

1999: Marco Etcheverry - D.C. United | 5/22/99 vs. Miami Fusion, 90th minute

1998: Brian McBride - Columbus Crew | 7/9/98 vs. Chicago Fire, 68th minute

1997: Marco Etcheverry - D.C. United | 8/27/97 vs. New England Revolution, 39th minute

1996: Eric Wynalda - San Jose Clash | 4/6/96 vs. D.C. United, 88th minute

All-time MLS Save of the Year winners:

2018: Stefan Frei - Seattle Sounders FC | 7/4/18 vs. Colorado Rapids, 82nd minute

2017: Brad Guzan - Atlanta United | 10/15/17 vs. New York Red Bulls, 65th minute

2016: Joe Bendik - Orlando City SC | 5/15/16 vs. Sporting Kansas City, 45th minute

2015: Adam Kwarasey - Portland Timbers | 8/15/15 vs. Real Salt Lake, 31st minute

2014: Luis Robles - New York Red Bulls | 9/20/14 vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 69th minute

2013: Nick Rimando - Real Salt Lake | 8/3/13 vs. Colorado Rapids, 53rd minute

2012: Nick Rimando - Real Salt Lake | 4/14/12 vs. Sporting Kansas City, 75th minute

2011: Kasey Keller - Seattle Sounders FC | 10/15/11 vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 64th minute

2010: Kasey Keller - Seattle Sounders FC | 4/17/10 vs. Kansas City Wizards, 90th+2 minute

2009: Pat Onstad - Houston Dynamo | 4/19/09 vs. Colorado Rapids, 83rd minute

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