By Pat Martin Nov 13, 2006, 20:10 GMT
Frisco, TX - Major League Soccer announced its selections for the Best XI team at the MLS Gala Awards reception in Frisco this weekend, prior to Houston's dramatic shootout win over New England in the 2006 MLS Cup final.
The annual awards ceremony is the MLS's version of an All-Pro team, selecting the best 11 players at their respective positions as voted on by media, players, coaches and general managers.
D.C. United, winners of the 2006 Supporters Shield as the league's top team in the regular season with a 15-7-10 record, led all teams with four players selected to the squad - Christian Gomez, Troy Perkins, Bobby Boswell and Jaime Moreno.
The other selections were Jose Burciaga and Jimmy Conrad of the Kansas City Wizards, Clint Dempsey of the New England Revolution, Dwayne De Rosario and Ricardo Clark of the Houston Dynamo, Jeff Cunningham of Real Salt Lake and Justin Mapp of the Chicago Fire.
Gomez, the 2006 MLS Most Valuable Player, highlighted the five midfielders selected to the squad. He scored 14 goals and 11 assists in the regular season while also scoring both of United's goals in the Eastern Conference Semifinal loss to New England. MLS Cup finalists Dempsey, De Rosario and Clark were also picked as the league's best midfielders, along with Mapp.
Perkins, who also won the 2006 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award, earned his first ever selection to the team. He posted eight shutouts, a 1.13 goals against average and 15 wins - the most by any goaltender in the league - in the regular season this year.
Perkins' teammate Boswell, the 2006 winner of the MLS Defender of the Year, played 2,700 minutes for United this season while solidifying the back-line. He also scored a goal and an assist for the club. Burciaga, who led all defenders with eight goals, and Conrad round out the defensive squad.
Up top, MLS Golden Boot winner and MVP finalist, Cunningham, highlights a talented duo of scorers. His 16 goals were one of the bright spots in an otherwise dismal season for Real Salt Lake. Moreno, who joins Chris Armas and Robin Fraser as the only five-time selections to the Best XI team, joins Cunningham at striker. He scored 11 goals this season, five of which were game-winners, while also tallying 11 assists.
Houston Dynamo striker Brian Ching, the MLS Cup MVP, was also announced the winner of the 2006 Goal of the Year Award this weekend. The striker captured the hardware with a spectacular bicycle kick on September 30 that gave Houston a 1-0 win over United. Voting for the award was conducted on the league's official web site, MLSnet.com.
© 2006 The Sports Network
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