VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Ryan Gauld has been named one of three finalists for the 2021 MLS Newcomer of the Year award.
Gauld is joined by Los Angeles FC striker Cristian ‘Chicho’ Arango and San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Eduardo ‘Chofis’ López. The trio earned the most votes in polling from MLS players, club technical staffs, and a select group of national and regional media who consistently covered the 2021 MLS regular season.
The Scottish midfielder joined the ‘Caps on July 31 from Portuguese side SC Farense and immediately made his presence felt on the pitch.
In 13 starts and 18 appearances, Gauld scored four goals and recorded six assists. According to fbref.com, amongst newcomers in MLS this season Gauld tallied the most key passes per match with 2.5, the most shot-creating actions per match with 5.37, most goal-creating actions per match with 0.76, and most expected assists per match with 0.28.
His performances helped Whitecaps FC qualify for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017, as the team attained a 9W-2L-7D record in matches he played.
The winner will be announced on Monday, November 22.
