USL News Release
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
TAMPA, Fla. – Sporting Kansas City’s C.J. Sapong was named the Major League Soccer Rookie of the Year, with the former USL PDL standout one of four alumni from the top under-23 league in the country to finish in the top five of the voting.
A former player for Reading United AC, Sapong was the No.10 selection in the MLS SuperDraft in January, and went on to a stellar season for Sporting. He scored his first professional goal in his debut against Chivas USA, and finished the season with five goals and five assists, leading all rookies and finishing second on the team in assists.
Sapong had four goals and three assists in 11 games for Reading United in 2010, helping the side reach the USL PDL Championship Weekend in Portland. He also had a standout college career for James Madison University, being named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year in his senior season.
Former Chicago Fire Premier standout Perry Kitchen finished second in the voting after a strong rookie season for D.C. United. The former U.S. U-20 international, a candidate to be a member of the U.S. Olympic team next summer and No.3 pick in the MLS SuperDraft, led United with 2,762 minutes played, showing maturity beyond his years as he started 30 of the team’s 34 games, also a team high.
The Philadelphia Union’s Michael Farfan finished third in the voting after scoring two goals and adding three assists in 21 appearances after being selected with the 23rd pick of the SuperDraft. The 23-year-old midfielder played for a number of USL PDL clubs, most notably the Ventura County Fusion for whom he made 21 appearances from 2007-08, scoring three goals and adding two assists.
Former Cleveland Internationals standout Darlington Nagbe finished fourth in the voting after the Portland Timbers phenom recorded two goals and three assists after being selected with the No.2 pick of the MLS SuperDraft. Nagbe, who won the Hermann Trophy as the top college player in the nation in 2010, played in 18 games for the Internationals, scoring seven goals and adding one assist.
The PDL saw eight of its alumni taken in the first 10 selections of last season’s SuperDraft, and 37 of the 54 players taken overall. Since the league’s inception it has offered top quality competition and coaching for college players to develop their skills during the summer months before they return to campus for the college season. Among previous PDL alumni to win the MLS Rookie of the Year award are Sean Franklin and Michael Parkhurst.