MLS award season continued on Monday with Miguel Almiron winning the 2017 MLS Newcomer of the Year. Almiron, a member of Paraguay’s national team, joined the expansion Atlanta United squad in 2017 as a designated player. He has nine goals and 14 assists over 30 games in a season where Atlanta qualified for the MLS playoffs.
“For me it’s a big honor, Almiron said. “It’s wonderful that they voted for me and think about me. That speaks very well about the job that I’m doing, not just myself but also my teammates. The whole group, the whole team in Atlanta and without them I couldn’t win the award.”
Almiron won the Player Vote and the Club Vote, losing the Media Vote to 2nd-place overall finisher Nemanja Nikolic from the Chicago Fire. Almiron won the overall vote 37.38% to Nikolic’s 24.92%. Atlanta’s Josef Martinez finished in 3rd-place with 14.42%. Chicago also had two players in the top five with Bastian Schweinsteiger finishing 5th.
MLS Newcomer of the Year Winners
2017: Miguel Almiron – Atlanta United
2016: Nicolas Lodeiro – Seattle Sounders FC
2015: Sebastian Giovinco – Toronto FC
2014: Pedro Morales – Vancouver Whitecaps FC
2013: Diego Valeri – Portland Timbers
2012: Federico Higuain – Columbus Crew
2011: Mauro Rosales – Seattle Sounders FC
2010: Alvaro Saborio – Real Salt Lake
2009: Fredy Montero – Seattle Sounders FC
2008: Darren Huckerby – San Jose Earthquakes
2007: Luciano Emilio – DC United
