NEW YORK – MLS Cup may still be days away, but LA Galaxy star David Beckham has already hauled in another piece of MLS silverware.
Beckham on Monday claimed the 2011 MLS Comeback Player of the Year award, narrowly edging out D.C. United’s Charlie Davies for the honors. Chicago Fire forward Dominic Oduro, who was offloaded from Houston earlier this season and scored 12 goals for the Fire, finished third.
The LA Galaxy midfielder, who appeared in only seven league games in 2010 after tearing his Achilles tendon while on loan with AC Milan, finished second in MLS with 15 assists – five better than his previous MLS-best of 10 in 2008 – and was named to the MLS Best XI last week. Beckham also logged an MLS career-high in appearances (26) this year as LA clinched their second consecutive Supporter’s Shield with the second-highest point total in league history (67).
One year after missing the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as well as most of the last MLS season through injury, the 36-year-old has helped lead the Galaxy back to the brink of an MLS Cup Championship on home turf. They will play the Houston Dynamo for the title, which would be Beckham’s first in MLS, at the Home Depot Center on November 20 (9 pm ET, ESPN, Galavision, TSN2).
LA was 10-1-3 this season when Beckham scored or assisted on a goal, and, in addition to his league efforts, he was a key cog in the club's successful effort to qualify for the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League.
Voting for the award was conducted among MLS management, media and players. It's the first such recognition for a Galaxy player. San Jose’s Bobby Convey claimed the honors in 2010.
