Why Kristijan Kahlina Is the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year (Again)
MLS Charlotte FC

Why Kristijan Kahlina Is the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year (Again)

Published on October 9, 2025 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Charlotte FC News Release


An award so nice, Kristijan Kahlina should win it twice? We think so.

The reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year has shown that the historic 2024 season was no fluke. His performances in goal have led Charlotte FC to one of the top spots in the Eastern Conference as the 2025 regular season draws to a close.

It has not always been easy for the Croatian goalkeeper, and he'd be the first to tell you that. His story, though, is one of perseverance and dedication to the craft and continuing to improve.

The month of May saw a grueling stretch of seven road league matches and led to a brief spell on the bench for Kahlina, but he fought his way back.

Throughout the season, Kahlina has had to deal with a mix-and-match backline for much of the season due to injuries to key defenders like Nathan Byrne. He's also seen the shuffling of center back pairings between defenders Andrew Privett, Tim Ream and Adilson Malanda.

This has partly led to Kahlina facing the most shots on goal of any goalkeeper in the league, a total of 167, but he has stepped up to the task, recording the most saves of any goalkeeper in the league with 123.

Kahlina has still managed to be one of the top two goalkeepers for clean sheets this season with eleven. He is also in the top five in the league when it comes to goals prevented, per FotMob, and is second in the league with 3.9 saves per 90.

Kahlina stepped up when The Crown needed him most. He was one of the catalysts in The Crown's historic nine match winning streak, where he recorded six clean sheets.

Famously, he saves a penalty kick from Inter Miami's Lionel Messi to preserve the clean sheet against the Herons to help get The Crown to the historic nine-straight wins marker, putting them at the top of the league post-shootout record books with the 2018 Seattle Sounders.

Why Kristijan Kahlina Deserves Your Vote:

Kahlina has been one of Charlotte's most valuable players in 2025. His performances have largely dictated The Crown's run of form.

Despite small bumps in form in May and June, Kahlina's attitude and mentality has never wavered, and it has led him towards a potentially successful defense of his Goalkeeper of the Year award title.

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