Vancouver Whitecaps FC Camilo Sanvezzo celebrates his goal against the Portland Timbers during second half of MLS soccer action in Vancouver, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
December 05, 2013 - 10:45 AM
TORONTO, Cananda - Vancouver Whitecaps forward Camilo Sanvezzo has been honoured with the 2013 Goal of the Year in Major League Soccer for his flying scissor-kick volley against the Portland Timbers.
The spectacular Oct. 6 goal at B.C. Place saw Camilo launch himself into the air to get a boot to Young-Pyo Lee's cross before hammering it home.
The 78th-minute goal, Camilo's second of the night, beat Donovan Ricketts, recently named MLS goalie of the year, and tied the game at 2-2.
It was judged the best goal — in a season that saw 845 scored — via by an online and text fan vote.
Also Thursday, Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando won his second consecutive Save of the Year for his stop on Colorado Rapids midfielder Jaime Castrillon.
Camilo, a 25-year-old Brazilian, led the league in scoring with 25 goals. But he missed out on the league's Best XI team, kept out by Montreal's Marco Di Vaio, Los Angeles' Robbie Keane and league MVP Mike Magee of Chicago.
Sixty-four initial nominations were eventually narrowed to four goal-of-the-year finalists. The award is sponsored by AT&T.
Camilo's goal earned 47.29 per cent of the voting. Portland's Diego Valeri, for his March 3 goal against the New York Red Bulls, was second with 30.05 per cent, followed by New England's Juan Agudelo (Aug. 17 against Chicago) with 11.36 per cent and New York's Thierry Henry, against Montreal on May 8, with 11.31 per cent.
He is the first player from a Canadian team, to win the award, although Canadian international Dwayne De Rosario won it in both 2004 and 2005 while with San Jose.
Rimando earned 29.94 per cent of the best save vote, ahead of Jaime Penedo of Los Angeles (for an Aug. 24 save in Vancouver) with 24.47 per cent, Dallas' Raul Fernandez with 22.3 per cent and Ricketts (against Vancouver on Oct. 6) with 23.28 per cent.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2013