As FutbolMLS.com continues to reveal the groups for Latino del Año 2013, it's the nominees from Group C's turn.
His impressive rise at the beginning of the season made Raúl "Superman" Fernández a top goalkeeper for both FC Dallas and the Peruvian national team, which has earned him the first seed in this group. He will face one of the Newcomer of the Year candidates in Erick "Cubo" Torres, as well as established MLS players Fabián Espíndola and Marvin Chávez.
MLSsoccer.com and FutbolMLS.com editors selected 32 Latino players that made an impact throughout the 2013 MLS regular season, including winners of FutbolMLS.com’s weekly contest, Latino de la Jornada, and a draw was held to divide the players in eight groups of four players each.
Here are the nominees from Group D:
GROUP D
<strong>Player</strong> |
|
<p><strong>Raúl Fernández</strong><br><span style="font-size: 12px;">GK, FC Dallas</span></p> |
<p>A three-time Latino de la Jornada winner this season, Fernández went from anonymity in France to become one of the leaders of FC Dallas, where a roster full of talent from Latin America fell short to make the Playoffs. "Superman" was outstanding in each of the 26 games he played for the Texas side, being in many cases, the savior for his team, which earned him the call as an MLS All-Star 2013.</p><p>An unfortunate injury towards the end of the regular season, and the decline of the performance of his team, did not allowed him to reach the postseason.</p> |
<p><strong>Erick Torres</strong><br><span style="font-size: 12px;">F, Chivas USA</span></p> |
<p>He arrived on loan from Chivas Guadalajara in midseason, and at a time when Chivas USA had virtually lost their chances of reaching the playoffs. But "Cubo" fought for the crest with an immediate scoring impact.</p><p>Torres played only 15 games with the <em>Rebaño Angeleno</em>, but scored seven great goals and added an assist, and lent charisma to a team that needed some hope with his unique robotic dance celebration. He also won Latino de la Jornada three times.</p> |
<p><strong>Fabián Espíndola</strong><br><span style="font-size: 12px;">F, NY Red Bulls</span></p> |
<p>Maybe his RSL exit at the end of the 2012 season was a bitter pill, but Espíndola demonstrated his professionalism and dedication in his new club this season. In most of their 28 games (23 starts), he had the arduous task of accompanying the French star Thierry Henry on the Red Bulls offense, and the Argentinean scored nine goals and added two assists.</p> |
<p><strong>Marvin Chávez</strong><br><span style="font-size: 12px;">M, SJ Earthquakes</span></p> |
<p>The "Son of the Wind" is a constant Latino of the Year nominee for his performances for the Quakes. While the Honduran international saw his playing time reduced to only 15 appearances this year due to international duty, Chávez remained a point of strength for San Jose. He scored an amazing free kick goal and registered an assist, and won the Latino de la Jornada in Week 12.</p> |
Created in 2010, Latino del Año is FutbolMLS.com's annual contest to select the best Latin American Player in MLS based on fan voting.
The contest is held at the end of each MLS regular season, consisting of three weeks of voting by fans who determine which players advance to each round until a winner is chosen.
2013 Latino del Año Schedule
October 28-31 – Latino del Año groups announced
November 4 – Online voting process opens for group stage
November 7 – Group stage winners announced & online voting opens for Round of 16
November 11 – Round of 16 winners announced & online voting opens for Quarterfinals
November 14 – Quaterfinal winners announced & online voting opens for the Final
Novermber 18 – 2013 Latino del Año winner announced.
