Winners in all eight categories will be revealed throughout the upcoming playoffs. The MLS Best XI will also be revealed at a later date, while voting for Goal of the Year and Save of the Year are taking place online at mlssoccer.com through Monday.
Major League Soccer revealed its finalists on Thursday for eight individual season-ending awards, including five finalists for the Landon Donovan MVP Award that include the favorite in Lionel Messi and 17-year-old sensation Cavan Sullivan.
Messi's stellar play for Inter Miami earned him the league's MVP trophy in each of the past two seasons, with Sullivan making his mark during a breakout season for the Philadelphia Union.
Messi had a league-best 26 goals during the regular season, with 17 assists that ranked second. The other three players vying for MVP honors are Evander of FC Cincinnati, Guilherme of the Houston Dynamo and Hany Mukhtar of Nashville SC.
Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year candidates include B.J. Callaghan of Nashville, which won the Supporters' Shield by going 23-3-8 for 77 points. Yoann Damet of St. Louis City and Jesper Sorensen of the Vancouver Whitecaps are also up for the award.
The Defender of the Year Award category is dominated by Nashville players with teammates Andy Najar, Jeisson Palacios and Maxwell Woledzi all vying for the honor.
