Fan Vote: The Goat Parade's 2012 Awards Revealed

Not too long ago, we asked you, the readers, to vote on your 2012 award winners among Chivas USA. Well, the results, are in, and it is now time to reveal the winners! And now, without further ado:

The Goat Parade's 2012 Most Valuable Player: Dan Kennedy

The people have spoken, and Kennedy has won in a landslide, earning two-thirds more votes than the closest competitor, James Riley. Although at least one reader made it clear that nobody deserves the award, because of the overall quality of the team's season, I understand the sentiment but I still think Kennedy is by far the most deserving player. Kennedy finished third in the league this season in saves, with 109, but the rest of his stats were shot because his team consistently let in massive quantities of goals late in the season. Still, if any player has earned a spot on the roster next season, it would be DK. Congrats!

The Goat Parade's 2012 Newcomer of the Year: James Riley

The veteran fullback barely beat out Miller Bolanos for this award. Although both had good shouts, Riley played more minutes than any outfield player this season. He started the season very well, and although he had the same dip as the rest of the defense, his performances in the first half of the season and his track record in MLS means he certainly can perform in MLS and should do better in the future if he has a better situation. That he was one of the most active players in touches for his team could either be a signal of his essential role or the fact that the team struggled badly, but he was a good addition to the roster in 2012. Good job!

The Goat Parade's 2012 Top Attacker: Miller Bolanos

This is like a chain, isn't it? Miss out on one award, win the next one. Of course, this was also the most contentious award, considering Chivas had such an awful year on the offensive end, and I'm sure many people hoped that "nobody" was one of the options. I share your pain, but I hope you realize that I thought it would be a shame if literally nobody got the award. Hence Bolanos. What you can say about him is that he earned his way onto the squad, and really came on late, when no one else was really taking the bull by the horns. He had the most combined goals and assists on the team, and he brought an edge to his game, something that seemed to be missing from the team overall. Hopefully he returns to the team in 2013, and hopefully he helps raise the attack to respectable levels at the very least. Way to go!

The Goat Parade's 2012 Defender of the Year: James Riley

He barely held off Ante Jazic for this award, meaning the fullbacks were obviously more reliable than the platoon of center backs on balance. Again, Riley was the iron man for his team, and except for a mystery red card that he was given after a match, he featured in every game except the one he was suspended for and the last game of the season, when nothing was on the line. He also chipped in with two assists, which on this team was like eight normal assists. Again, it wasn't a vintage year for the defense, but Riley certainly played better on whole than the rest. Felicidades!

Thanks very much for voting, and keep a look out for upcoming polls in the coming weeks!

What do you think? Leave a comment below!