With the season coming to an end, the 2018 Major League Soccer Year-end Awards candidates have been officially announced. Six Real Salt Lake players along with Head Coach Mike Petke have been nominated for the following awards as the 2018 season draws to a close.
Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player: Albert Rusnák and Jefferson Savarino
Rusnák has again played an integral role in the RSL midfield in his second year for the club, playing 2502 total minutes this season while racking up ten goals and seven assists.
The fifth ranked player on Major League Soccer’s “22 Under 22” List, Savarino has provided a spark on the wing for RSL where he has totaled 2763 minutes, scoring seven goals while contributing eleven assists on the year.
Defender of the Year Nominee: Justen Glad
The ninth ranked player on Major League Soccer’s “22 Under 22” List, Glad has featured in 2820 minutes on the back line for RSL this season. Glad has started and featured in every match for RSL in 2018.
Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year Nominee: Nick Rimando
In his 12th season with RSL, Rimando secured his 200th career win among building upon his numerous accolades and records from his illustrious Major League Soccer career. Rimando has made 93 saves this year while earning seven shutouts.
MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year Nominee: Kyle Beckerman
RSL captain Kyle Beckerman has solidified himself as a leader both on and off the field in his 12 seasons at the club. Beckerman leads by example to strengthen and encourage empowerment throughout the community both at Rio Tinto Stadium and in surrounding neighborhoods. In 2018, Beckerman opened futsal courts in Salt Lake City to promote an active lifestyle and support the development of youth soccer in the state of Utah.
AT&T Rookie of the Year Nominee: Corey Baird
After earning three consecutive national championships with Stanford University, the 15th Homegrown signing in RSL history has made a strong case for the MLS Rookie of the Year by scoring seven goals while contributing four assists in his first year as a professional.
Coach of the Year Nominee: Mike Petke
In his second season at the helm of Real Salt Lake, Petke has led the Utah side to a 13-12-17 record, including 14 matches unbeaten at Rio Tinto Stadium after its home opening match. Known for his authentic personality and fiery presence on the RSL sideline , Petke has led a relatively young RSL side to the verge of solidifying a playoff berth with two matches remaining in the 2018 season.
Award finalists will be announced via MLSSoccer.com on Wednesday, October 31st.
