CARSON, Calif. (Monday, November 14, 2011) –
Major League Soccer (MLS) announced today that LA Galaxy midfielder David Beckham has been selected as the League’s Comeback Player of the Year. The first Galaxy player ever to win the award, Beckham finished with an MLS-career-high 15 assists on the season while helping lead the Galaxy to their record seventh MLS Cup. Now in his fifth season with the Galaxy, Beckham was limited to just seven games during the 2010 season after tearing his right Achilles tendon in March 2010 while on loan to AC Milan of Serie A.
Fully recovered from his injury and back with the club for a complete season for the first time since 2008, Beckham played in 26 of the Galaxy’s 34 regular season games, setting a new MLS-career-high for games played. Utilized primarily in central midfield, Beckham scored twice on the season while adding a team-high 15 assists, which were the second most in MLS. His team was 9-1-3 in the 13 games that he had an assist and won both games in which he scored, including a 2-1 win over Chicago on July 9 in which he scored the game-winning goal. Selected to the MLS All-Star team for the second time in his career, Beckham was named to the MLS Best XI for the first time in his Galaxy career last week.
With Beckham orchestrating the attack, the Galaxy scored the fifth most goals in the league and finished with a league-best 67 points, the second most in MLS history, from a 19-5-10 record to repeat as Supporters’ Shield winners. Beckham also played a pivotal role in the Galaxy advancing in the CONCACAF Champions League, leading the team with two assists in four games in the competition. He has continued that fine form in the MLS Cup Playoffs, tallying an assist in all three of the Galaxy’s postseason games so far to lead the club to a record seventh MLS Cup berth.
Beckham edged out fellow finalists Charlie Davies of D.C. United and Dominic Oduro of the Chicago Fire to win the Comeback Player of the Year award.
