Minnesota United goalkeeper Vito Mannone, veteran defender Ike Opara and rookie midfielder Hassani Dotson are among the finalists for MLS's 2019 season individual awards. Winners will be named in the coming days and weeks.
Mannone, acquired on loan last winter from Reading FC in England's second division, is a finalist for Goalkeeper of the Year won last season by Columbus' Zack Steffen.
He is the only Loon who played all 34 regular-season games, making 126 saves and recording 11 shutouts. Minnesota United went 15-10-8, finished fourth in the Western Conference and plays the L.A. Galaxy in a home playoff game Sunday night at Allianz Field.
NYCFC's Sean Johnson and D.C. United's Bill Hamid are the other two finalists for the Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year.
Opara is finalist for MLS Defender of the Year, an award he won in 2017 while playin with Sporting Kansas City. He helped key the transformation of a United defense that allowed 70 and 71 goals its first two MLS seasons into one that allowed 43 this season, while his team scored nine more goals than it allowed.
Atlanta United's Miles Robinson and LAFC's Walker Zimmerman are the other two Defender of the Year finalists.
Dotson, a second-round SuperDraft pick last winter out of Oregon State, didn't find a steady starting job like fellow rookie Chase Gasper did at left back, But he proved himself versatile and able to start at a variety of positions, including both outside-back positions and defensive midfielder, on his way to consideration for AT&T MLS Rookie of the Year.
He scored four goals, too, including one in the 90-minute that beat Sporting K.C. last month and clinched United's first playoff appearance.
