D.C. United forward Jaime Moreno has been voted the best player to have participated in each of Major League Soccer's 10 seasons in a poll conducted on MLSnet.com, the league's official website. The poll is part of the ongoing celebration of the league's 10th campaign.
Second only to Real Salt Lake's Jason Kreis in career goals scored in MLS, Moreno has found the back of the net 94 times in his illustrious career. He has hit double digits in five seasons, including three in which he scored 16 goals, and he's been on the shortlist for the league's MVP award several times, including this season.
Moreno's continued success is remarkable considering his career was nearly ended by injury in 2003. The season before, a series of injuries limited the former Bolivian international to 16 appearances, and after he was traded to the MetroStars in the offseason, his woes continued. After making 11 appearances for the Metros, Moreno underwent surgery to repair herniated disks in his back, and it was questionable that he would ever play again. But in 2004, he was re-signed by the club and proceeded to lead United to their fourth MLS Cup title.
This season, Moreno has once again led United into the playoffs, finishing second in the MLS Budweiser Golden Boot standings. On Aug. 31, Moreno reached a career milestone, scoring his 89th career goal to pass Roy Lassiter and move into second place on the all-time list.
The man who leads Moreno in that category finished second in the "Best 10-year Veteran" poll. Kreis, who spent the first nine years of his career with the Dallas Burn (now FC Dallas), is the only player to have scored 100 career goals. He reached the century mark on Aug. 13 at Rice-Eccles Stadium against the Kansas City Wizards and later had his season ended by a partial ACL tear, leaving him exactly on 100 heading into the 2006 campaign.
During the course of his career, Kreis has been one of the most consistent attackers in the league, having never scored fewer than five goals - even in injury-shortened campaigns over the last three seasons. In 1999, Kreis became the first U.S.-born MVP in league history at the same time that he became the first player to score at least 15 goals and 15 assists in the same season. He passed Lassiter for the all-time goals lead on June 26, 2004 before going on to stretch his record this season.
Finishing third in the poll was another Real Salt Lake player, defender Eddie Pope. The U.S. national team stalwart will forever be remembered for scoring the overtime goal that lifted United to the first MLS Cup championship, as well as for his athleticism and ability to stifle the most dangerous strikers in the league.
Pope played his first seven seasons with United, winning three MLS Cup titles, before being sent to the MetroStars in a trade prior to the 2003 campaign. He has been selected to the league's Best XI on four occasions and was voted the Defender of the Year in 1997.
Tied for fourth place in the poll are the Los Angeles Galaxy's Cobi Jones and Preki of the Kansas City Wizards. Jones is the only player to have played each of the league's 10 seasons with the same club. He is currently fifth all-time in MLS - and first in the Galaxy record books - in assists with 82, and he is also in the top 10 in goals, games played and minutes.
Preki is one of the most gifted midfielders to have ever stepped foot on an MLS field. Twice the league's scoring champion and twice an MVP (1997 and 2003 in both cases), Preki has notched 79 goals and 112 assists in his career. He sits second only to Carlos Valderrama in assists and remains the only player to win the MVP award and the scoring championship on two occasions. The 42-year-old announced his retirement from professional soccer late this season.
Other players receiving votes in the poll include Chris Armas and Jesse Marsch of the Chicago Fire; Chris Henderson and Robin Fraser of the Columbus Crew; Jeff Agoos, Tony Meola and Ante Razov of the MetroStars; Steve Ralston of the New England Revolution; Brian Kamler of Real Salt Lake; Mark Chung of the San Jose Earthquakes; and Manny Lagos, who retired from the Crew midseason.
Jason Halpin is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
