Concacaf unveiled the nominees and opened voting for the sixth annual Concacaf Awards on Monday, and there is plenty of MLS representation.
The Awards, which honor both players from Concacaf nations playing club soccer anywhere in the world, as well as non-Concacaf players who play in leagues in the region, include MLS personnel in five different categories. Toronto FC led the way in the MLS world with eight nominations in total after their run to the 2018 Concacaf Champions League final.
The headline award on the men's side, Male Player of the Year, features four MLS nominees: Toronto's Sebastian Giovinco and Jonathan Osorio, LAFC'sCarlos Vela and the New York Red Bulls' Kemar Lawrence.
Two players, Toronto FC's Alex Bono and the Red Bulls' Luis Robles, were nominated for Male Goalkeeper of the Year.
Two MLS coaches in 2018, Toronto FC's Greg Vanney and the Red Bulls' Jesse Marsch, were nominated for Men's Football Coach of the Year. US U-20 national team head coach Tab Ramos was also nominated, as well as incoming San Jose Earthquakes boss Matias Almeyda, whose Chivas side topped TFC in the CCL final.
10 players with MLS ties were nominated for their positions' Best XI: Defenders Lawrence, Francisco Calvo (Minnesota United), Ashtone Morgan (TFC), midfielders Nicolas Lodeiro (Seattle Sounders), and Michael Bradley (TFC), and forwards Giovinco, Vela, Bradley Wright-Phillips (New York Red Bulls) and Alphonso Davies (Vancouver Whitecaps FC).
Furthermore, two MLS referees, Mark Geiger and Jair Marrufo, were nominated for Male Referee of the Year.
Voting is now open to the public for that segment of the Concacaf Awards on Concacaf's website, and will run through Jan. 8, 2019 at 11:59 pm ET. The voting will be tabulated between four groups, each counting for 25 percent: Fans in the online vote, national team captains of Concacaf nations, national team head coaches in the region, and media experts as selected by Concacaf.
