Crew M Schelotto named MVP

Nov 21, 2008 - 5:00 AM LOS ANGELES (Ticker) - Columbus Crew midfielder Guillermo Barros Schelotto was named Major League Soccer's Most Valuable Player on Thursday.

The Argentine received more than 54 percent of the vote, followed by Landon Donovan (19 percent) of the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Chicago Fire's Cuauhtemoc Blanco (3 percent).

Schelotto led the Crew to a league-best 17-7-6 record and has helped the team secure a place in Sunday's MLS Cup against New York.

He led the league with 19 assists, tied for the second highest single season total in MLS history, and scored seven goals. Only Carlos Valderrama's single-season record of 26 assists in 2000 eclipses Schelotto's 2008 total.

"I came here to help get this team to MLS Cup," Schelotto told the Columbus Dispatch. "Not MVP. Not Best XI. I want to win the MLS Cup. It's very important for the team. Maybe the MVP is, too, but MLS Cup is the best."

Heading into MLS Cup, Schelotto has three assists in three playoff games and has contributed on all but two of the Crew's postseason goals. Schelotto was the MLS Player of the Week three times in 2008 and was named Player of the Month for August.

MLS players, general managers and coaches, along with members of the media vote on the MVP award.