NEW YORK, NY – Highlighting the best players and coaches of the 2023 season, Major League Soccer today unveiled the list of individuals eligible for selection in 2023 Year-End Awards voting. Each individual was nominated by their own club in recognition of their outstanding performance throughout the 2023 MLS regular season.
- CLICK HERE for a complete list of nominees
Ryan Gauld leads the list of Whitecaps FC nominees, in contention for the Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player award. Since May 31, no player in MLS has more goal contributions than the Scotsman with 22 (11 goals, 11 assists). A complete player, Gauld has also put in impressive defensive statistics for one of the top attacking players in the league, sitting in a tie for 16th overall in tackles in MLS (63), and first in tackles in the attacking third (19).
The winner in each category will be determined following a vote by journalists, club technical staffs, and MLS players, with each group accounting for 33.3% of the total vote. Club technical staffs and players may not vote for their own team’s nominees.
Voting will open on Tuesday, Oct. 10 and conclude on Monday, Oct. 23, following the close of the MLS regular season.
In addition to those awards determined by the journalists, technical staff and player vote, three additional categories include, MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi awarded to the player with the most goals at the close of the 2023 MLS regular season.
Brian White remains in contention for the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi. The American striker now has 15 goals on the MLS season, two back of leader Denis Bouanga of LAFC (17). White has scored in four consecutive matches, and is tied for the most non-penalty goals in the league.
The AT&T MLS Goal of the Year and MLS Save of the Year presented by Allstate are determined by an online fan vote on www.MLSsoccer.com. Fan voting will open on Oct. 30 and close on Nov. 6.
CLICK HERE for more information about the nomination and voting process for the 2023 Year-End Awards.
2023 Year-End Award Categories & Whitecaps FC Nominees
- Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player
- Ryan Gauld
- Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year
- Vanni Sartini
- Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year
- Yohei Takaoka
- MLS Defender of the Year
- Tristan Blackmon / Ranko Veselinović
- MLS Newcomer of the Year
- Yohei Takaoka
- MLS Young Player of the Year
- Pedro Vite
- Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award presented by MLS WORKS
- Russell Teibert
- MLS Best XI presented by Continental Tire
- MLS Comeback Player of the Year
- MLS Referee of the Year
- MLS Assistant Referee of the Year
