CHIVAS USA ANNOUNCES 2010 TEAM AWARD WINNERS

 

Michael Umaña, Justin Braun, Michael Lahoud and Jonathan Bornstein earn year-end honors;

Players received honors prior to Saturday’s regular season finale vs. Chicago Fire

 

CARSON, Calif. (Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010) – Chivas USA announced its 2010 Season Ending Award Winners on Saturday prior to the regular season finale against the Chicago Fire, the final match in the Red-and-White for captain Jonathan Bornstein. Michael Umaña earned the team’s Defender of the Year award, while Michael Lahoud was named the team’s Humanitarian of the Year. Forward Justin Braun was named Chivas USA’s Most Valuable Player and looked set to also earn the team’s Budweiser Golden Boot. Finally, captain Jonathan Bornstein won the Claudio Suárez Award, given to the player who best represents the spirit of Chivas USA.

 

The four players were honored prior to Chivas USA’s final regular season match today against the Chicago Fire. The award for Bornstein was the third different honor he has won, having earned Humanitarian of the Year in 2008 and Defender of the Year in 2009. The awards for Michael Umaña, Justin Braun, and Michael Lahoud were the first for each player. Braun, who was named the team’s MVP, was leading Jesús Padilla for the Golden Boot going into the final game, having nine goals to Padilla’s six.

 

Below is a complete list of Chivas USA’s Team Award Winners, along with player-by-player capsules.

 

Chivas USA 2010 Team Award Winners

 

Claudio Suárez Award: Jonathan Bornstein

The newly-renamed Claudio Suárez Award, given to the player “who best represents the spirit of Chivas USA”, goes this year to Jonathan Bornstein, who continued to pour his full effort into Chivas USA both on and off the field in 2010. On the field, Bornstein was a bright spot for the Red-and-White, earning a fourth straight All-Star nomination and getting a spot on the United States National Team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Bornstein, a Los Alamitos native, played excellent soccer in the two World Cup matches he played, and for Chivas USA played 20 matches (16 starts), notching two assists. Off the field, the UCLA alum continued to represent the team well in the community, charity events, and with the media. The longest-serving member of Chivas USA is set to join Tigres of the Mexican First Division on January 1, with tonight’s match against Chicago being his final match in with Chivas USA before the move.

 

Most Valuable Player: Justin Braun

Braun enjoyed a breakout season in 2010, scoring nine goals, which led the club going into the final game of the season, and adding three assists, tied with six other players for first on the team. While his goals, three of which were game-winners, took all the headlines, Braun continued to show his worth to the club with his hard work and dedication on the field. Pressuring opposing defenders and working hard into the final minutes of the match, Braun created opportunities for both himself and teammates. Going into the final match, Braun had played 27 games (23 starts), playing 2028 minutes, third on the team. The Salt Lake City native, in his third year with the club, was named MLS Player of the Week for Week 15 after scoring twice against Kansas City.

 

Defender of the Year: Michael Umaña

Michael Umaña joined Chivas USA on March 11 during preseason, and immediately became an important part of the club, starting 28 matches going into the final game of the season. His 2483 minutes in 2010 leads the team, and his hard work in central defense helped the Red-and-White in many games, while other players on the back line shuffled in and out of the lineup. The Costa Rican international was steady and strong throughout the year, and played the full 90 minutes in 25 of the 28 matches in which he appeared.

 

Humanitarian of the Year: Michael Lahoud

Michael Lahoud has been one of Chivas USA’s most active and involved community leaders since joining the team in 2008. Among the many charities and organizations that he works with is Compton United, a youth soccer program that mentors and trains at-risk children. Lahoud attends the club’s training sessions on Thursdays, working with kids to develop both soccer and life skills. In addition, Lahoud has recently gotten involved with the Wall-Las Memorias Project, where he volunteered to take an HIV test during National HIV Testing Week as part of a campaign to encourage individuals to get past their fear and doubt and know their status about HIV and AIDS. He has also donated time to the Haiti earthquake relief effort at a pair of events, took part in a benefit for Chrysalis, an organization which helps find jobs for impoverished and homeless people in Los Angeles, and America SCORE LA, a program for poet-athletes, where he attended the end of season jamboree.

 

Chivas USA Team Award Winners Year-by-Year

 

Most Valuable Player

2005: Ramón Ramírez

2006: Ante Razov

2007: Brad Guzan

2008: Sacha Kljestan

2009: Zach Thornton

2010: Justin Braun

 

Defender of the Year

2005: Brad Guzan

2006: Claudio Suárez

2007: Claudio Suárez

2008: Paulo Nagamura

2009: Jonathan Bornstein

2010: Michael Umaña

 

Claudio Suárez Award (Spirit of Chivas USA)

2005: Ramón Ramírez

2006: Francisco Mendoza

2007: Jesse Marsch

2008: Claudio Suárez

2009: Claudio Suárez

2010: Jonathan Bornstein

 

U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year

2005: Ezra Hendrickson

2006: Tim Regan

2007: Brad Guzan

2008: Jonathan Bornstein

2009: Jesse Marsch

2010: Michael Lahoud

 

Budweiser Golden Boot (# of goals)

2005: Héctor Cuadros (4)

2006: Ante Razov (14)

2007: Maykel Galindo (12)

2008: Sacha Kljestan (5)

2009: Eduardo Lillingston (8)

2010: Justin Braun (9, pending final match)

 

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