Swiss shot-stopper earns first MLS Year-End Award honor in club history
NEW YORK (Thursday, November 9, 2023) – Major League Soccer today announced that St. Louis CITY SC goalkeeper Roman Bürki has been named the 2023 Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. Bürki is the first goalkeeper to win the award while playing for an expansion club in its inaugural MLS season since Chicago Fire FC’s Zach Thornton won it in 1998. He is the first-ever St. Louis CITY SC player to earn an individual MLS Year-End Award honor.
Bürki’s 17 wins is the most of any goalkeeper in their first MLS season during the post-shootout era and is tied with Mark Dodd and Mark Dougherty (both in 1996) for the most wins including the shootout era. The Switzerland international’s 42 goals conceded are the fewest of any goalkeeper to play at least 30 games during an expansion club’s inaugural season in a 34-game season. Overall, only Joe Cannon (38 in a 30-game season) conceded less goals for the San Jose Earthquakes in 2008.
He was one of three goalkeepers to record over 100 saves in MLS this season (123) and led the trio with the highest save percentage at 74.55 percent. His 123 saves on the year are the second-most among all goalkeepers in MLS this season and his save percentage is fourth highest among active MLS goalkeepers to play in at least 20 games. Bürki is the first goalkeeper to produce at least 120 saves and eight clean sheets in a season since Vito Mannone in 2019, and he has the second highest save percentage of all goalkeepers to keep at least eight clean sheets this season.
The Swiss shot-stopper is the fifth player to earn the goalkeeping accolade in their first MLS season and the first since Mannone won the award with Minnesota United FC in 2019. He is also the first Swiss-born goalkeeper to be named Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and just the third European to claim the honor, joining Mannone (Italy) and Jimmy Nielsen (Denmark).
- Photo and video assets from Roman Bürki’s 2023 MLS regular season are available **here**.
The Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, which honors the best goalkeeper in MLS during the 2023 regular season, was voted on by MLS club technical staff, media, and current MLS players. Below is a breakdown of the voting results, with finalists Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati) and Pedro Gallese (Orlando City SC) finishing tied for second in the voting:
Name | Player Vote | Club Vote | Media Vote | Average Vote |
Roman Bürki (STL) | 60.61% | 70.74% | 71.1% | 67.48% |
Roman Celentano (CIN) | 6.06% | 4.89% | 3.47% | 4.80% |
Pedro Gallese (ORL) | 3.03% | 7.32% | 4.05% | 4.80% |
A full list of previous Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award winners can be found below:
Season | Player | Club |
2023 | Roman Bürki | St. Louis CITY SC |
2022 | Andre Blake | Philadelphia Union |
2021 | Matt Turner | New England Revolution |
2020 | Andre Blake | Philadelphia Union |
2019 | Vito Mannone | Minnesota United FC |
2018 | Zack Steffen | Columbus Crew |
2017 | Tim Melia | Sporting Kansas City |
2016 | Andre Blake | Philadelphia Union |
2015 | Luis Robles | New York Red Bulls |
2014 | Bill Hamid | D.C. United |
2013 | Donovan Ricketts | Portland Timbers |
2012 | Jimmy Nielsen | Sporting Kansas City |
2011 | Kasey Keller | Seattle Sounders FC |
2010 | Donovan Ricketts | LA Galaxy |
2009 | Zach Thornton | Chivas USA |
2008 | Jon Busch | Chicago Fire |
2007 | Brad Guzan | Chivas USA |
2006 | Troy Perkins | D.C. United |
2005 | Pat Onstad | San Jose Earthquakes |
2004 | Joe Cannon | Colorado Rapids |
2003 | Pat Onstad | San Jose Earthquakes |
2002 | Joe Cannon | San Jose Earthquakes |
2001 | Tim Howard | MetroStars |
2000 | Tony Meola | Kansas City Wizards |
1999 | Kevin Hartman | LA Galaxy |
1998 | Zach Thornton | Chicago Fire |
1997 | Brad Friedel | Columbus Crew |
1996 | Mark Dodd | Dallas Burn |
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