Houston Dynamo defender DaMarcus Beasley has won plenty of honors throughout his distinguished career and on Tuesday he added another one.
Major League Soccer announced on Tuesday that Beasley won the individual MLS Fair Play award while the Seattle Sounders took home the team MLS Fair Play award.
A two-time MLS All-Star and US national team legend, Beasley averaged a league-low .54 fouls per outing after logging 1,985 minutes over the span of 24 regular season games. With starts in all but two of his 2017 regular season appearances, Beasley was unblemished in disciplinary action, not receiving a single yellow card or red card through league play. A consummate leader of Houston’s defensive unit, Beasley committed the fewest fouls of any active player on a Dynamo backline that this season posted the best Western Conference home record.
Jahmir Hyka (San Jose Earthquakes) and Dave Romney (LA Galaxy) were finalists for the award, which is selected based upon subjective evaluations on sportsmanlike behavior, as well as objective criteria such as fouls committed, cards received, games and minutes played to select the winner.
For the first time in the club’s nine-year MLS history, the Seattle Sounders claimed the MLS Fair Play Award team award, which recognizes the MLS club with the fewest regular season disciplinary points. Disciplinary points are derived by adding the points assigned to fouls committed (3 points per), yellow cards (3 points per), red cards (7 point per) and supplemental points (8 points per each disciplinary action taken). Sounders FC finished the season with 477 disciplinary points (14.45/game), Toronto FC was second (492; 14.91) and the Chicago Fire were third (554; 16.79).
Fair Play Award - Individual Winners
2017: DaMarcus Beasley – Houston Dynamo
2016: Keegan Rosenberry – Philadelphia Union
2015: Darlington Nagbe – Portland Timbers
2014: Michael Parkhurst – Columbus Crew SC
2013: Darlington Nagbe – Portland Timbers
2012: Logan Pause – Chicago Fire
2011: Sebastien Le Toux – Philadelphia Union
2010: Sebastien Le Toux – Philadelphia Union
2009: Steve Ralston – New England Revolution
2008: Michael Parkhurst – New England Revolution
2007: Michael Parkhurst – New England Revolution
2006: Chris Klein – Real Salt Lake
2005: Ronald Cerritos – San Jose Earthquakes
2004: Eddie Pope – MetroStars
2003: Brian McBride – Columbus Crew SC
2002: Mark Chung – Colorado Rapids
2001: Alex Pineda Chacon – Miami Fusion
2000: Steve Ralston – Tampa Bay Mutiny
1999: Steve Ralston – Tampa Bay Mutiny
1998: Thomas Dooley – Columbus Crew SC
1997: Mark Chung – Kansas City Wizards
Fair Play Award -Team Winners
2017: Seattle Sounders FC
2016: Columbus Crew SC
2015: Philadelphia Union
2014: Philadelphia Union
2013: LA Galaxy
2012: New England Revolution
2011: Portland Timbers
2010: San Jose Earthquakes
2009: Chicago Fire
2008: New England Revolution
2007: Columbus Crew SC
2006: Kansas City Wizards
2005: Kansas City Wizards
