The chance to repeat their individual awards from 2012 is an honor, but Matt Besler and Jimmy Nielsen are more concerned about the Eastern Conference finals than about being finalists for those awards.
“I don't mean to downplay the award at all, or any of the finalists or any of the awards, but for me right now I really am not thinking about that at all,” Besler said during a conference call on Thursday. “I'm just thinking about winning the game on Saturday night to make it to the MLS Cup. I'm honored, and when I found out I was honored, but it's really not at the top of my list right now.”
The 26-year-old central defender, who broke into the U.S. national team this year and has become a mainstay in the back line, is up against Los Angeles' Omar Gonzalez and New England's Jose Goncalves for Defender of the Year. He was a key component of a defense that conceded a league-low 30 goals in the regular season, and his 40.39 successful passes per 90 minutes were best among MLS defenders with at least 2,000 minutes played.
“Matt has always been a consummate professional,” manager Peter Vermes said during Thursday's call, two days ahead of the second leg of the East final against Houston at Sporting Park. “Every year he has found something, or wants to know what to work on, and he spends the offseason making sure that he comes in the next season extremely prepared to be better at that and all the other aspects of his game for the next season. He's a great role model for the rest of the group. That's why the guys on the team respect him, and I think that his advancement into the national team is no surprise.
“When you have that kind of commitment, when you have that kind of professionalism on a daily basis, it's very hard to keep cream down. Cream always rises to the top, and that's Matt.”
Vermes also praised Nielsen's leadership skills, as well as those Sporting's captain displays in goal, during Thursday's call.
“I never – not that I don't have the utmost respect for him – never thought he'd have the leadership qualities he has, when we first brought him in,” Vermes said. “The other thing is the saves that he makes for us. Matt and the other guys in front of him don't give up too many shots over the course of the game, and then all of a sudden he comes up with an amazing save that keeps us in the game. That's a testament to his level of concentration and wanting to be perfect in every game.”
The 36-year-old Nielsen played every minute of every MLS match this season, and 0.88 goals-against average led all keepers with 1,000 minutes or more. Still, he hasn't given much thought to repeating his Goalkeeper of the Year honors from last season – and his vote would go to Portland's Donovan Ricketts, who along with Real Salt Lake's Nick Rimando is also among the finalists.
“I don't talk about myself,” Nielsen said on Thursday. “My drive and my motivation is the MLS Cup. It's been that since I came here. Now we're two steps away, so it's just around the corner for something big. The first, and a big important step, is Saturday. I've been like a little child waiting for Christmas the last two weeks. It's been pretty painful to wait.”
