Keegan Rosenberry Wins MLS Fair Play Award

Report From Philadelphia Union

Major League Soccer today announced that Philadelphia Union defender Keegan Rosenberry has won the 2016 individual MLS Fair Play Award. The third overall selection in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, Rosenberry was the only field player in 2016 to play all 3,060 regular-season minutes and did so without receiving a single yellow card.

The award is selected by MLS based on subjective evaluations on sportsmanlike behavior, as well as objective criteria such as fouls committed, cards received, games and minutes played. Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders FC) and Chris Tierney (New England Revolution) were also named as finalists for the honor.

A 2016 MLS All-Star, Rosenberry saw more time on the field than any non-goalkeeper since 2013. He committed the second fewest fouls (13) by any player appearing in all 34 games, and he ranked among the League’s top 20 in both tackles (78) and interceptions (88).

The defender becomes the second player in Philadelphia Union history to capture the individual Fair Play Award, as Sebastien Le Toux also received that recognition in 2010 and 2011. Additionally, Rosenberry joins Le Toux (who was also named MLS Best XI in 2010) as the second individual in Union history to earn a year-end MLS award. The Union also received the Fair Play Award at the team level in both 2014 and 2015.

Other Major League Soccer year-end awards are slated to be announced in the coming weeks. Rosenberry is also a finalist for the AT&T Rookie of the Year, while Andre Blake is a finalist for Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year, as is Chris Pontius for Comeback Player of the Year.

Fair Play Award – All-Time Individual Winners:
2016: Keegan Rosenberry – Philadelphia Union
2015: Darlington Nagbe – Portland Timbers
2014: Michael Parkhurst – Columbus Crew SC
2013: Darlington Nagbe – Portland Timbers
2012: Logan Pause – Chicago Fire
2011: Sébastien Le Toux – Philadelphia Union
2010: Sébastien Le Toux – Philadelphia Union
2009: Steve Ralston – New England Revolution
2008: Michael Parkhurst – New England Revolution
2007: Michael Parkhurst – New England Revolution
2006: Chris Klein – Real Salt Lake
2005: Ronald Cerritos – San Jose Earthquakes
2004: Eddie Pope – MetroStars
2003: Brian McBride – Columbus Crew
2002: Mark Chung – Colorado Rapids
2001: Alex Pineda Chacon – Miami Fusion
2000: Steve Ralston – Tampa Bay Mutiny
1999: Steve Ralston – Tampa Bay Mutiny
1998: Thomas Dooley – Columbus Crew
1997: Mark Chung – Kansas City Wizards