PORTLAND, Ore.
– United Soccer Leagues today announced the finalists for 2010 Premier Development League honors. Portland Timbers U-23s head coach
Jim Rilatt
and forward
Brent Richards
were named among the finalists for multiple awards.
Rilatt is one of four finalists for the PDL Coach of the Year, while Richards is listed as a finalist for both the league’s Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year honors.
Recipients of the PDL’s MVP, Rookie of the Year, Defender of the Year and Coach of the Year will be unveiled during the PDL Awards Ceremony Friday in Portland at PGE Park as part of 2010 PDL Championship events. The Timbers U-23s face Reading United AC on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the second game of a semifinal doubleheader at PGE Park. The PDL finals will take place Saturday at 4 p.m. at PGE Park live on Fox Soccer Channel.
In his second season at the helm of the Timbers U-23s, Rilatt led the team to a perfect 16-0-0 regular-season record and won both the Northwest Division and Western Conference titles. The Timbers U-23s became the PDL’s first team since 1998 to post a perfect record – without a loss or draw. Portland led the league in scoring with 53 goals, while allowing only six goals during the regular season – the fewest in the PDL.
Richards, a Northwest native, finished the regular season ranked among league leaders in scoring and goals. He was the Timbers U-23s’ leading scorer during the campaign with 14 goals and two assists. Richards, who was named to the All-PDL Team on Tuesday, set new Timbers U-23s’ single-season records for goals scored, goals scored in a single game (4) and consecutive games with a goal (5) in 2010.
Votes for Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year finalists were submitted by team management from around league. Rookie of the Year finalists were determined by all-conference voting, while the Defender of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year were chosen based upon total all-conference votes.
2010 PDL Award Finalists
Most Valuable Player
Moses Aduny, Mississippi Brilla
Brent Richards, Portland Timbers U-23s
Andrew Rigby, Ottawa Fury
Brandon Swartzendruber, Thunder Bay Chill
Rookie of the Year
Fredrik Brustad, Central Florida Kraze
Dominic Reinhold, New Jersey Rangers
Brent Richards, Portland Timbers U-23s
Coach of the Year
Brendan Burke, Reading United AC
Dave Dixon, Mississippi Brilla
Martin Painter, Forest City London
Jim Rilatt, Portland Timbers U-23s
Defender of the Year
Matthew Hedges, Reading United AC
Mark Lee, Kitsap Pumas
Alexis Pradie, Ottawa Fury
Joe Tait, Baton Rouge Capitals
