LAFC’s Cherundolo, Arango finalists for 2022 MLS season awards

MLS revealed the finalists for the 2022 individual season awards on Thursday, and LAFC is represented with nominations to two honors.

Head coach Steve Cherundolo is a finalist for MLS Coach of the Year, while forward Cristian Arango is a finalist for MLS MVP.

To say Cherundolo’s tenure with LAFC has gotten off to a good start would be an understatement. Winning the Supporters’ Shield with the best regular season record in MLS, Cherundolo has won the most games by a first-year MLS head coach in league history and has the team playing sound soccer. He is joined in this category by two Eastern Conference coaches, Wilfried Nancy of CF Montreal and Jim Curtin of the Philadelphia Union and I think it’s anybody’s game in terms of who wins this one.

Arango scored 16 goals and five assists in 32 regular season games this year, leading LAFC in scoring and finishing 9th in the league. The reigning MLS Newcomer of the Year, obviously Arango can’t defend that award this year, but he joins crosstown rival Chicharito, Philadelphia Union GK Andre Blake, Austin FC’s Sebastian Driussi and Nashville SC’s Hany Mukhtar as finalists for MVP. We’ll see what happens, but I would be surprised if Arango wins this award this year, even if he had a terrific season.

Award winners will be announced over the coming weeks, but congrats to Steve and Chicho for their respective honors!

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