Seattle Sounders Midfielder Mauro Rosales Named MLS Newcomer Of The Year

Not a bad day for the Seattle Sounders; just hours after Kasey Keller picked up the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award Mauro Rosales has made it 2-for-2 by winning the MLS Newcomer of the Year award. Rosales won the award in a rout, with New York Red Bulls' Luke Rodgers finishing a distant second and the Vancouver Whitecaps' Eric Hassli an even more distant third.

It would be difficult to find fault with the selection; Rosales was an absolute revelation for the Sounders, scoring 5 goals and notching 14 assists across all competitions and providing a creative presence and veteran leadership the Sounders desperately needed this season. That Rosales was arguably the team's most important player after coming in for a trial weeks before the season makes his accomplishments that much more special. That Rosales was dropped by  Mexican Primera side Querétaro for reportedly failing a physical (a charge Rosales denies) is yet another  example of the role luck can play in professional sports both on and off the field.

Sounders fans have fallen in love with Rosales and by all accounts the feeling is mutual. The 31-year-old former Argentine international and the club are reportedly deep in negotiations to extend the midfielder's contract and if things continue to go smoothly on that front, maybe he'll be upgrading from Newcomer of the Year to MLS MVP this time next season.