A closer look at Schelotto's MVP victory

 

                                                               Photo by ISIphotos.com

As you may have learned on SBI this morning (or Sports Illustrated on Tuesday), Columbus Crew playmaker Guillermo Barros Schelotto has been named MLS Most Valuable Player.

Major League Soccer made the announcement official on Wednesday morning with a press release that laid out the statistical breakdown of the voting. As you might expect, Schelotto ran away with it. Here is the breakdown:

• Schelotto............%54.14 percent of the overall vote

• Landon Donovan....%19.13 percent

• Cuauhtemoc Blanco......%3 percent

What I am still trying to figure out is how Blanco was a finalist with only three percent of the overall voting (and a damning a zero percent of the voting from coaches and general managers). Was the unaccounted for 13.63 percent of votes spread out over that many candidates? I still think that both Juan Pablo Angel and Javier Morales were far more deserving finalists.

What did you think of the MLS MVP voting? Who was on your ballot? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

[kco]

Agree with Juan Pablo Angel and Javier Morales. But in the end the right man won so it's all good.

[TMAY]

Schelotto probably should have been the only person nominated. No one else was even realistic.

[WTF]

This year it almost made no sense to have anyone up against GBS

[Matt Mathai]

With his number of assists, Morales should have been considered, IMO. There's no question that GBS was far and away the most worthy candidate, and I'm glad he won.

[Nicole]

What I find interesting is that another blog has the breakdown of how the vote occured: coaches/GMs, players, media.

Coaches/GMs voted 2-1 for Schelotto
players almost 50-50 between Schelotto and Donovan
media voted overwhelming for Schelotto.

[Tony in Quakeland]

But for the Galaxy's epoch-shattering awfulness on defense, LD has a very strong case. 20 goals and 9 assists compares well with 7 goals and 19 assists. It is ridiculous to claim it doesn't. If LD had not missed time with the national team, he might have finished somewhere around 25+ and 13+, which would have made him the overwhelming "best" player if not the most "valuable".

That said, I think the pick was correct.

[Drew]

Blanco wasn't even the MVP of his team, so no way he should be in the final 3. It's a laugher that he even made it.

[Ryan]

I'm surprised at the margin between Scholetto and Donovan. I think GBS deserved the award, but I don't think GBS was THAT much better than Landon.

[kpugs]

Blanco should not have been a finalist last year either. He didn't play nearly enough games.

This year he was good for what, two months before he ran out of gas? He was the [very, very] early season favorite but shouldn't have even been mentioned by the end of the year. Schelotto was the most deserving player by far.

[Tom]

I think its in Blanco's contract that he be an MVP finalist.

The only way I can explain it.

[Matt Mathai]

@Ryan: the contest isn't about who is the best player. it's about who was more valuable to his team.

For all of Landon's goalscoring heroics, the Galaxy were a poor team and missed the playoffs.

[Brant]

Obviously I'm a GBS guy. :)

I think Donovan was a legit #2, but it shows the struggle with "outstanding" vs "valuable" - I think he was more former than latter

Morales, JPA, Conrad, and Ralston were all about even as #3s in my book. I don't think Ralston got enough love for keeping NE afloat all year.

I just don't think you can give it to someone who didn't even make the playoffs, and no one on Houston or Chivas sticks out, and Chicago's MVP was arguably Busch, not Blanco.

[Brant]

Obviously I'm a GBS guy. :)

I think Donovan was a legit #2, but it shows the struggle with "outstanding" vs "valuable" - I think he was more former than latter

Morales, JPA, Conrad, and Ralston were all about even as #3s in my book. I don't think Ralston got enough love for keeping NE afloat all year.

I just don't think you can give it to someone who didn't even make the playoffs, and no one on Houston or Chivas sticks out, and Chicago's MVP was arguably Busch, not Blanco.

[Brant]

Ugh! Sorry for the double-post....

[A.S.]

"Was the unaccounted for 13.63 percent of votes spread out over that many candidates?"

I think your math is wrong. There are 23.73% of the total votes unaccounted for.

[Joamiq]

re Blanco: shenanigans!

Schelotto was the obvious choice, but I'm surprised the voters agreed (and so resoundingly too)!

[Tim]

Of course you think JPA, despite his average numbers on an average team.. The only person besides GBS and Lando who should been up was Javi Morales.

[Mig]

Yeah, the top 2 were right, I believe. GBS was simply a beast and it matters that his team had success.

Brant and Tony pretty much hit on the nose with their remarks. If LA makes the playoffs (even just sneaking in), then the LD case gets stronger.

Props to GBS though...impressive season.