Juan Agudelo, Eric Avila, Dan Kennedy Share The Goat Parade's Chivas USA Player of the Month Award

The votes are in, and apparently several Chivas USA players deserve to be named Player of the Month in the first award of the season here on The Goat Parade. In the end, there was a three-way tie between Juan Agudelo, Eric Avila, and Dan Kennedy for the honor, so we're splitting the virtual trophy three ways.

Agudelo lead the team in goals last month, with two, and also notched an assist in five appearances (four starts). He was also named MLS Player of the Week when he scored and provided the assist in the 4-1 rout over the Chicago Fire (who incidentally finally got their first win over the weekend, a 3-1 tally over the New York Red Bulls). I argued a couple days back that the Goats' returning forward corps has been disappointing so far this season, somewhat surprisingly, but Agudelo has been the exception, as he has looked dangerous every game and is producing to boot.

Avila was the only MLS veteran to join the team in the offseason (think about that - it's a pretty shocking fact, especially considering how well the team is doing) and has blown his previous career accomplishments out of the water so far this season. He has a goal and two assists, is co-leader of that category on the team, and only needs one more assist to match his previous season high (set last season with Toronto FC). He also needs to only score one more goal to hit a season high for his career in that category, so while the indications are that he cannot be counted on to supply goals, his skill on the offensive end has to make one think he'll get more this year. Add to that the fact that he has also added a defensive component to his game, and has done so creditably, and the redemption narrative for Avila seems to be chugging along.

Kennedy may be the stalwart of the team, but clearly, his accomplishments in March did not go unnoticed. Despite playing one less game than many other goalkeepers around the league, DK currently leads the league in saves, with 23. Despite sitting near the bottom of the league in GAA, Kennedy has helped his team to a 3-1-1 record, and among players with five starts, he is fifth in save percentage, so he's doing plenty of work and is certainly a key component to Chivas' strong start. The star may be taking a backseat to many of the revelations among the new players and coach, but Kennedy certainly earns a spot.

Congrats to all three players! And when the voting for this month rolls around, be sure to vote!

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