Mauro Rosales did not come to Major League Soccer with much fanfare. In fact, he came to the league with so little attention that the Seattle Sounders were able to sign him for $42,000 a year. Their meager investment paid off handsomely, though, and Rosales has now been named the 2011 MLS Newcomer of the Year.
MLS Postseason Awards, 2011: Mauro Rosales Named Newcomer Of The Year
“This is an award I share with my teammates because without them we could not be so successful,” Rosales said in a team release. “It’s been a great season and I am honored by this vote of the media, as well as players and executives of other clubs. I would like thank everyone in the Sounders family-my fellow players, the coaches, staff and, of course, the fans.”
Despite having his appearances limited to 26 games by a variety of injuries, Rosales still managed to score five goals and set a Sounders record with 13 assists. Those numbers were impressive enough for him to easily beat out the likes of Luke Rodgers and Eric Hassli, both of whom were among the league leaders in goals. Rosales won all three MLS voting blocs by at least 8 percent. He won the media vote by nearly 26 percent.
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