D.C. United midfielder Etcheverry honored as MVP
Posted: Friday October 23, 1998 03:01 PM
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"El Diablo" Etcheverry is the third foreign-born player to win the MVP award AP |
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- D.C. United's Marco Etcheverry, whose midfield dominance went beyond his league-leading 19 assists, was announced as Major League Soccer's Most Valuable Player Award winner Friday.
The Bolivian know as 'El Diablo' (The Devil) is the third foreign-born player to win the award and the first from two-time defending champion D.C. United. Colombian midfielder Carlos Valderrama won in 1996 while Kansas City's Preki Radosavljevic, a naturalized American born in Yugoslavia, won last season.
Etcheverry's one-touch skills were responsible for many of Roy Lassiter's 18 goals (tied for third best) and Jaime Moreno's 16 (sixth best) while leading D.C. United to its third straight appearance in the MLS Cup championship game.
D.C. United faces the expansion Chicago Fire in Sunday's title game at the Rose Bowl in its quest for a third straight championship.
Etcheverry, who also scored 10 goals this season - six from restarts, garnered 27 percent of more than 450 votes by MLS coachs, general managers and media, edging out Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Cobi Jones, who received 24 percent. Chicago's Polish midfielder Peter Nowak was third with 23 percent.
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