Throughout the 2014 MLS season, MLSsoccer.com will take stock of the performances of rookie players once a month, looking at which first-year professionals are making the biggest impact for their team and in the league, and who could be in contention for Rookie of the Year.
The October Rookie Rankings reflect all games in the month, with a view towards who might win Rookie of the Year.
It's time for the final Rookie Rankings of the year and, in addition to tracking the progress of top rookies as usual, the October rankings will also serve as a handicap of sorts for the 2014 AT&T Rookie of the Year race.
It should be no surprise to see Harry Shipp leading the way – the Fire Academy and Notre Dame product established himself early with a red-hot start, and did enough to stay in or near the top of the race through the rest of the season. Given voters' predilection for attacking players and his relative importance to the team, it's hard to see anyone else taking home the award.
It looked for a time that Shipp could be knocked off by Steve Birnbaum and Tesho Akindele, and if MLS were to distinguish between Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year, Birnbaum would take the award without a second thought. But as it stands, though, Birnbaum's consistency for a first-place team will likely get him to the runner-up spot on the ballot, but the promise he's shown could translate to some individual hardware down the road in his career.
Be sure to keep reading to get the final word on the top five rookies in MLS this year, and five more rookies who we're looking forward to watching as sophomores in 2015.
Only MLS regular-season games reflected on schedule and statistics.
<strong>Rank</strong> |
<strong>Trending</strong> |
<strong>Last </strong> |
<strong>Player</strong> |
<strong>Comment</strong> |
<strong>1</strong> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/arrow-up-with-shadow_1.png" style="width: 40px; height: 42px;"> |
<strong>2</strong> |
<a href="www.mlssoccer.com/players/harry-shipp" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/USATSI_7840596_167117770_lowres.jpg" style="width: 55px; height: 55px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; background-color: rgb(221, 221, 221);"></a><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/harry-shipp" target="_blank"><strong>Harry Shipp</strong></a><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/Chicago_Fire_Soccer_Club_logo.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px;"> |
<p>Through all the ups and downs, and despite strong challenges from Birnbaum and Akindele, Shipp has remained the Rookie of the Year favorite (or close to it) for most of 2014. He added another goal in a good performance at D.C. for insurance, and finishing the season topping the Fire's assist charts and second in team scoring should cement the hardware for the Homegrown midfielder.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Month: </strong>10/2 at PHI (1-1 draw, 90 min), 10/5 vs. MTL (0-0 draw, 73 min), 10/10 at SKC (2-0 loss, 83 min), 10/18 at DC (2-1 loss, 1 goal, 90 min), 10/24 vs. HOU (2-1 win, 90 min)</li><li><strong>Season Statistics: </strong>7 G, 6 A (33 GP, 26 GS)</li><li><strong><a href="http://fantasy.mlssoccer.com/" target="_blank">MLS Fantasy Soccer Manager</a>:</strong> 144 points, $6.0 million (16.1% owned)</li></ul> |
<b>2</b> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/red-arrow-down2_0.png" style="width: 40px; height: 41px;"> |
<b>1</b> |
<a href="www.mlssoccer.com/players/steve-birnbaum" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/USATSI_7679815_167117770_lowres.jpg" style="height: 55px; width: 55px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid;"></a><strong><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/steve-birnbaum" target="_blank">Steve Birnbaum</a></strong><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/DC-United-Logo.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px;"> |
<p>Birnbaum has stayed neck-and-neck with Shipp since he earned his starting spot in the middle of the year, so it's hard to drop him here, but Shipp's overall contribution gave him the edge in the final rankings. It's no knock to Birnbaum, who could be a key man in United's defense for a long time to come and has drawn praise from many corners in MLS for his ability to read the game, which could even propel him to a January call-up.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Month:</strong> 10/3 vs. SKC (0-0 draw, 90 min), 10/12 at HOU (3-1 win, 90 min), 10/18 vs. CHI (2-1 win, 90 min), 10/25 at MTL (1-1 draw, 90 min)</li><li><strong>Season Statistics: </strong>1,890 minutes played (21 GP, 21 GS) – started every game for D.C. from June 7</li><li><strong><a href="http://fantasy.mlssoccer.com/" target="_blank">MLS Fantasy Soccer Manager</a>: </strong>94 points, $5.7 million (10.2% owned)</li></ul> |
<strong>3</strong> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/straight-line.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px;"> |
<b>3</b> |
<a href="www.mlssoccer.com/players/tesho-akindele" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/USATSI_7915780_167117770_lowres.jpg" style="width: 55px; height: 55px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; background-color: rgb(221, 221, 221);"></a><strong><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/tesho-akindele" target="_blank">Tesho Akindele</a></strong><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/FC%20Dallas.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px;"> |
<p>It was a quiet October for Akindele after a torrid summer, considering only regular-season statistics count here, but his important contributions in a Knockout Round win over Vancouver indicate that he'll still be a more-than-capable contributor in the Dallas attack this postseason and beyond.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Month: </strong>10/4 at VAN (2-0 loss, 45 min), 10/12 vs. LA (2-1 win, 80 min), 10/18 at COL (1-0 win, 45 min), 10/25 vs. POR (2-0 loss, 17 min)</li><li><strong>Season Statistics:</strong> 7 G, 3 A (26 GP, 18 GS; 1,748 min)</li><li><strong><a href="http://fantasy.mlssoccer.com/" target="_blank">MLS Fantasy Soccer Manager</a>:</strong> 99 points, $5.0 million (10.4% owned) </li></ul> |
<strong>4</strong> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/arrow-up-with-shadow_1.png" style="width: 40px; height: 42px;"> |
<b>5</b> |
<a href="www.mlssoccer.com/players/aj-cochran" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/USATSI_8084861_167117770_lowres.jpg" style="width: 55px; height: 55px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid;"></a><strong><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/aj-cochran" target="_blank">A.J. Cochran</a></strong><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/1897_200x200.png?1403187342" style="height: 40px; width: 40px;"> |
<p>The Dynamo rookie's late push up the charts comes after he started and showed well in all but one of the Dynamo's final nine games over the season. Though there was a red card mixed in, Cochran's play was strong overall, whether as a starter or filling in earlier in the season, and he's made a case for an expanded role as new technical director Matt Jordan contemplates his first moves for 2015.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Month: </strong>10/4 at NY (1-0 loss, 90 min), 10/8 at TOR (1-0 win, 55 min, red card), 10/12 vs. DC (3-1 loss, DNP - suspended), 10/16 vs. NE (2-1 loss, 90 min), 10/24 at CHI (2-1 loss, 90 min)</li><li><strong>Season Statistics:</strong> 1,370 minutes played (19 GP, 12 GS)</li><li><strong><a href="http://fantasy.mlssoccer.com/" target="_blank">MLS Fantasy Soccer Manager</a>:</strong> 41 points, $4.6 million (5.8% owned)</li></ul> |
<strong>5</strong> |
<img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/red-arrow-down2_0.png" style="width: 40px; height: 41px;"> |
<b>4</b> |
<a href="www.mlssoccer.com/players/nick-hagglund" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/USATSI_7863974_167117770_lowres.jpg" style="width: 55px; height: 55px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; background-color: rgb(221, 221, 221);"></a><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/nick-hagglund" target="_blank"><strong>Nick Hagglund</strong></a><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/prp-toronto_150.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px;"> |
<p>Inconsistency, a red card and injury in the final weeks of the season and the team's overall struggles precipiated the one-place drop here. But Toronto and their fans should largely be happy with the promise Hagglund showed this season, which he should be able to build upon next year. Bonus fact? Hagglund was TFC's top fantasy scorer, along with <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/gilberto" target="_blank">Gilberto</a>.</p><ul><li><strong>Last Month:</strong> 10/4 at LA (3-0 loss, 90 min), 10/8 vs. HOU (1-0 loss, 90 min), 10/11 at NY (3-1 loss, 86 min, red card), 10/18 vs. MTL (1-1 draw, DNP - suspended), 10/25 at NE (1-0 loss, DNP - injured)</li><li><strong>Season Statistics:</strong> 2 G, 3 A (25 GP, 23 GS; 2,088 min)</li><li><strong><a href="http://fantasy.mlssoccer.com/" target="_blank">MLS Fantasy Soccer Manager</a>:</strong> 106 points, $5.5 million (11.2% owned)</li></ul> |
Five soon-to-be second-years we're excited to watch in 2015:Tommy Thompson (San Jose Earthquakes), Pedro Ribeiro (Philadelphia Union), Patrick Mullins (New England Revolution), Chris Duvall (New York Red Bulls), Christian Dean (Vancouver Whitecaps)
