SANDY, Utah (Monday, October 31, 2016) - Real Salt Lake today announced the team’s annual season-ending award winners for 2016, which were based on voting by RSL players. RSL Captain Kyle Beckerman was voted the club’s Most Valuable Player for the fourth time since joining the club in 2007, while FW Joao Plata won the Golden Boot Award as the club’s top scorer for the second time in the last three years. Center back Justen Glad was voted Defensive Player of the Year and also earned Co-Humanitarian of the Year honors, along with M/F Jordan Allen.
MF Kyle Beckerman: RSL Most Valuable Player
It was a monumental season for Real Salt Lake’s captain, as Beckerman became Major League Soccer’s all-time leader in starts (377) and minutes played (33,775) in his 17th career campaign, while also becoming the first player in league history to surpass the 400 games played milestone. In his 10th season with the Claret-and-Cobalt, Beckerman played 27 matches and was the locker room leader that helped RSL return to the MLS Cup Playoffs for the eighth time in the last nine seasons after missing the postseason in 2015.
Beckerman is now the club’s all-time leader in MVP honors, winning the award for the fourth time, while MF Javier Morales has won on three occasions.
FW Joao Plata: RSL Golden Boot Award
Back at full strength after missing a large portion of the 2015 season with a fractured foot, Plata returned to the form that had him earning Golden Boot honors in 2014. With nine goals, he tied FW Yura Movsisyan for the scoring lead, and takes home the Golden Boot award based on the tie-breaker of assists, where Plata led RSL with 12 assists this season. In addition to his great form in MLS regular season play, he also tallied four goals and one assist in CONCACAF Champions League, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and the MLS Cup Playoffs, giving him 13 goals and 13 assists across all competitions, making him the only player to score in each of RSL’s four 2016 hardware pursuits.
Plata now has 30 goals and 30 assists in four seasons with RSL.
DF Justen Glad: RSL Defensive Player of the Year
In just his second full season in MLS, Glad emerged as a consistent performer for RSL’s back four, matching DF Tony Beltran for the team lead with 27 starts this season amongst defenders and finishing second to Beltran with 2,424 minutes played. Glad also added two goals on the season, his first career MLS score serving as the game-winner in a road match at Sporting Kansas City on April 2.
Glad is the eighth different player in RSL’s 12 seasons to take home Defensive Player of the Year honors and the fourth different player in the last four years. He is also the youngest award winner in club history at just 19 years old.
DF Justen Glad and MF Jordan Allen: Jordan Guernsey Humanitarian of the Year
In 2016, Real Salt Lake was extremely active in the community with the launch of the RSL Foundation. Serving as leading advocates in the community for RSL were Glad and Allen. In just their third MLS seasons, the homegrown duo showed that they can be as impactful off the field as they have been on it for the Claret-and-Cobalt.
Their community involvement included hosting movie night at Ronald McDonald House, fitting helmets at Bennion Elementary School’s Bike Safety Day, serving as head coaches for the Mini-Pitch Grand Opening Games, surprising a cancer survivor at a Relay for Live Walk and attending the Breast Cancer Survivor Breakfast with Glad’s mother Becky, herself a breast cancer survivor.
In addition, they also were vocal advocates for the Voterise program, which encouraged people, young and old, to register to vote.
Last year, the club announced that the Humanitarian of the Year Award would be named in honor of one of Real Salt Lake’s biggest fans, the late Jordan Guernsey, whose passion for work in the community embodied the spirit of the award.
Real Salt Lake All-Time Season-Ending Award Recipients
RSL Most Valuable Player: Kyle Beckerman (2016), Javier Morales (2015), Joao Plata (2014), Kyle Beckerman (2013), Kyle Beckerman (2012), Kyle Beckerman (2011), Javier Morales (2010), Nat Borchers (2009), Javier Morales (2008), Nick Rimando (2007), Jeff Cunningham (2006), Andy Williams (2005)
RSL Golden Boot Award: Joao Plata (2016), Javier Morales (2015), Joao Plata (2014), Álvaro Saborío (2013), Álvaro Saborío (2012), Álvaro Saborío (2011), Álvaro Saborío (2010), Robbie Findley (2009), Yura Movsisyan (2008), Robbie Findley (2007), Jeff Cunningham (2006), Jason Kreis (2005)
RSL Defensive Player of the Year: Justen Glad (2016), Aaron Maund (2015), Chris Schuler (2014), Nick Rimando (2013), Nick Rimando (2012), Nat Borchers (2011), Nat Borchers (2010), Jamison Olave (2009), Nat Borchers (2008), Eddie Pope (2007), Carey Talley (2006), Eddie Pope (2005)
Jordan Guernsey Humanitarian of the Year: Jordan Allen and Justen Glad (2016), Abdoulie Mansally (2015), Abdoulie Mansally (2014), Chris Wingert (2013), Will Johnson (2012), Jean Alexandre (2011), Jean Alexandre (2010), Robbie Russell (2009), Nat Borchers (2008), Carey Talley (2007), Seth Trembly (2006), Brian Kamler (2005)
