Columbus Crew midfielder Guillermo Barros
Schelotto was named Major League Soccers Most Valuable Player on Thursday.
Schelotto, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, led MLS with 19 assists - tied for the
second highest single-season total in league history. Only Carlos Valderramas
26 assists in 2000 was higher than Schelottos 2008 total.
Heading into MLS Cup on Sunday against Red Bull New York, Schelotto has three
assists in three playoff games and has contributed on all but two of the Crews
postseason goals.
Schelotto also had seven goals during the regular season. He was the MLS Player
of the Week three times and was named Player of the Month for August.
He led Columbus to the league's best record (17-7-6), turning a team that was
just 9-11-10 into an MLS Cup finalist.
The Crews offense ranked second in the league in 2008 with 50 goals. His field
vision and ball striking ability were second to none this season. Schelotto was
a member of the 2007 Best XI team and becomes the second Argentine to win the
leagues MVP, joining 2006 winner Christian Gomez.
Los Angeles forward Landon Donovan and Chicago midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco
were also MVP finalists. Donovan led the league with 20 goals - just the sixth
time in league history a player has reached that mark - and Blanco led the Fire
to the Eastern Conference final.
The MVP earned the most votes in polling of players, general managers, coaches,
and members of the media. Schelotto is the first Columbus player to win MVP.
Columbus plays New York at 3:30 p.m. (ET) at The Home Depot Center in Carson,
Calif. in the MLS Cup final.
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