The Columbus Crew announced several honors following its regular-season finale at Crew Stadium on Sunday ahead of the club’s first MLS Cup Playoff berth since 2011. Federico Higuain was announced as the Crew’s 2014 Barbasol Most Valuable Player, capturing the award for a second consecutive season.
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<strong>FEDERICO HIGUAIN – BARBASOL MOST VALUABLE PLAYER <br></strong><br>
Higuain was once again masterful in his third season with the Crew, earning the Barbasol Most Valuable Player award for the second time after winning it during his first full season with the club in 2013. The Argentine notched 11 goals and seven assists entering the Black & Gold's final regular-season match to tie Ethan Finlay for the team lead in each category. The central attacking midfielder was nominated for the Etihad MLS Player of the Month in March after a month that saw him rack up three goals and two assists in three matches. He won the MLS Player of the Week award in Week 11 after a two-goal, one-assist performance at Portland. He was also nominated for the AT&T Goal of the Week award three times. The Crew held a record of 5-1-3 when Higuain scores and 5-0-1 when he provided an assist. |
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<strong>FEDERICO HIGUAIN AND ETHAN FINLAY – BUDWEISER GOLDEN BOOT (11 GOALS)</strong><p>Federico Higuain and Ethan Finlay finished neck-and-neck in the race for the Budweiser Golden Boot award. Each recorded 11 goals for the campaign, and each was also level on the first tiebreaker, assists, with seven.<br><br>
Higuain's goal-scoring consistency fueled the Argentine to a second consecutive 11-goal campaign for the Crew. His 11 goals moved him into eighth place on the team's all-time goal-scoring list with 27 total, passing Brian Maisonneuve (23) and Alejandro Moreno (20). His goal-scoring exploits this season saw him rack up two multi-goal performances, on March 8 at D.C. United and on May 17 at Portland. The playmaker also recorded a three-match goal-scoring streak over the span of July 26 at New England through August 9 versus Toronto FC.<br><br>
Finlay broke out this season to the tune of 11 goals and seven assists, all of which have come over his last 23 appearances. Over that span, no Crew player had more goals or assists. Since his first career goal on May 17, the winger was tied for seventh in League goal scoring. The 2012 MLS SuperDraft First Round choice was one of two Americans under the age of 25 to notch 11 or more goals in MLS this season, joining LA's Gyasi Zardes. The winger also became the sixth player under the age of 25 in Crew history to notch double-digit goals in a single season, joining Pete Marino, Brian McBride, Stern John, Jeff Cunningham and Edson Buddle in this exclusive club<br></p> |
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<strong>STEVE CLARK – DEFENDER OF THE YEAR </strong><br><br>
In the midst of his first season in Black & Gold, Steve Clark quickly ascended to the ranks of one of the best goalkeepers in MLS. The goalkeeper notched eight clean sheets on the year to tie for third in the League, including a stretch of four shutouts in six matches from August 23 versus Houston through September 27 versus Montreal. His 14 wins were tied for fourth in MLS, and his 111 saves ranked in the top three in MLS. In reaching 100 saves, Clark became just the second Crew goalkeeper to hit the century mark over the last 10 years. A key element of the club's defensive unit, no League goalkeeper attempted or completed more passes than Clark. |
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<strong>MATT LAMPSON – OHIOHEALTH HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR </strong><br><br>
For his work with the Central Ohio Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and his own LampStrong Foundation, Matt Lampson captured the OhioHealth Humanitarian of the Year award for the second straight season. The Crew Homegrown goalkeeper has made it a consistent point to give back after he beat Stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma seven years ago, hosting over 60 LampStrong Heroes after each and every Crew match, home and away, as well as conducting the annual LLS Hero Social at Crew Stadium. He also sponsored a team in the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon through the LampStrong Foundation. On the field, Lampson represented the Crew in the inaugural Chipotle Homegrown Game as part of the AT&T All-Star festivities in Portland, holding the Portland Timbers U-23 side off the scoresheet through the match's opening 45 minutes. |
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<strong>STEVE CLARK – KIRK URSO HEART AWARD <br></strong><br>
Goalkeeper Steve Clark becomes the third player to receive this award after Kirk Urso was posthumously honored in the inaugural year of the special recognition in 2012. Voted by his teammates, Clark was chosen as the player that best exemplified the qualities in a teammate and became “the heart” in the Black & Gold’s locker room. Clark, in his debut season with the Black & Gold, has played every minute of every match, one of just five players in MLS who can make that claim. The goalkeeper has endeared himself to Crew supporters with his passion and enthusiasm, an attitude that is exemplified in his now traditional "Yes!" chant with the Nordecke after Crew victories. |
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<strong>BEN SWANSON – ADIDAS CREW SOCCER ACADEMY PLAYER OF THE YEAR</strong><p>Having recently signed a Homegrown Player contract with the club, Ben Swanson is the adidas Crew Soccer Academy Player of the Year. The 17-year-old Grove City native became the ninth Homegrown Player in club history after formally signing his professional contract on October 16 in front of members of the Crew Juniors' Under-9 Gold Boys East squad, the same age with which the midfielder began his Crew Youth career. The longest-tenured member of the Crew Youth program, Swanson has also represented the United States' youth setup on several different occasions, including receiving a starting nod in the championship match of the Vaclav Jezek Tournament this summer against Ukraine, helping the United States U-18 National Team on to a 1-0 win and the tournament title. </p> |
