Sunday, November 23, 2008

FC Dallas forward Kenny Cooper named to MLS Best XI, Comeback Player of the Year

By Pegasus News wire

Major League Soccer announced Saturday that FC Dallas forward Kenny Cooper was named to the 2008 MLS Best XI team, and was also named the MLS Comeback Player of the Year. Cooper is the sixth player in team history to be selected to the MLS Best XI team, and second Dallas player to win the MLS Comeback Player of the Year.

Kenny Cooper (#33) congratulated after one of 18 goals this regular season.

The Best XI is an annual award recognizing the League's top 11 players at each individual position on the field: one goalkeeper, three defenders, five midfielders and two forwards. The MLS Comeback Player of the Year recognizes a player who has battled adversity and returned to perform at the highest level in Major League Soccer. The winner of the Comeback Player of the Year and the Best XI members received the most votes from the media, MLS players and MLS coaches and general managers.

The 24-year-old Cooper made a tremendous return to top form in 2008, after missing 19 games in 2007 with a broken right tibia suffered eight games into the season. Throughout the 2008 season, he consistently scored key goals for FC Dallas, and remained at the top of the League goal-scoring charts all year.

The only FC Dallas player to start all 30 games, Cooper led the team with 18 goals, two behind the 2008 MLS scoring champion Landon Donovan. Fourteen of Cooper's 18 scores either tied or gave FCD the lead in games (including four game-winners), while the other four increased the team's lead. As a result, Dallas improved to 19-1-9 all-time when Cooper scores.

Cooper was a First XI selection for the Sierra Mist MLS All-Star team that defeated West Ham United, and was twice named the MLS Player of the Week (Week 18 and 19). He was also voted the team's Most Valuable Player following the season.

The previous Dallas players to be named to the MLS Best XI were: M - Ronnie O‚Brien (2004); M - Oscar Pareja (2002); F - Jason Kreis (1999); GK - Mark Dodd and D - Leonel Alvarez (1996). Former midfielder Richard Mulrooney was selected the MLS Comeback Player of the Year in 2006.

Source: FC Dallas Communications

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