Galaxy's Donovan Named Honda Player of the Year for Record Fifth Time
The Galaxy's Landon Donovan was named the Honda Player of the Year for the second consecutive year and the fifth time in the last seven years at a ceremony today in downtown L.A.
Donovan accumulated 297 points in the balloting by 213 journalists, ahead of goalkeeper Tim Howard, (249 points) and Clint Dempsey (176 points). A player receives three points for each first-place vote, two points for second-place vote and so on.
Full disclosure: I voted for Donovan.
His accomplishments this year included becoming the all-time U.S. leading scorer with 37 goals.
His reward: a Honda Civic Hybrid and a (likely) transfer to Europe.
Also today, U.S. Men's National Team Coach Bob Bradley named a 19-man training squad for a four-day camp that begins Wednesday. Invitees include the Galaxy's Sean Franklin and Chivas USA's Jonathan Bornstein and Sacha Kljestan.
The full squad: goalkeepers Brian Edwards (Toronto FC), Troy Perkins (Valerenga IF), Matt Pickens (out of contract); defenders Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Sean Franklin (Los Angeles Galaxy), Cory Gibbs (Colorado Rapids), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Drew Moor (FC Dallas), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution); midfielders Colin Clark (Colorado Rapids), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Nick LaBrocca (Colorado Rapids), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids); forwards Davy Arnaud (Kansas City Wizards), Chad Barrett (Toronto FC), Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas).
Bradley names the U.S. squad to face Guatemala in Colorado Nov. 19 in the meaningless final World Cup qualifier at the conclusion of the camp.
About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
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