Real Salt Lake Announces 2020 Club Award Winners
Nov 8, 2020, 9:14 PM | Updated: Feb 26, 2021, 2:39 pm
Real Salt Lake midfielder Damir Kreilach (8) celebrates a goal as RSL and Portland play an MLS soccer game at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. (Courtesy of Deseret News)
(Courtesy of Deseret News)
SANDY, Utah – The 2020 season for Real Salt Lake came to an end on Sunday. The club lost 2-0 to Sporting Kansas City in the season finale at Rio Tinto Stadium.
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Now that the season is officially over, RSL announced the award winners that was voted on by the players.
Most Valuable Player
Damir Kreilach
Golden Boot Award
Damir Kreilach
The Golden Boot Award is given to the top goal scorer, which Kreilach has done in two of the last seasons. Kreilach just finished his third season with RSL and had 8 goals to lead the team. He started 20 of his 21 appearances in 2020. In three seasons, the Croatian has notched 26 goals and 14 assists in 83 games.
Kreilach earned his second MVP and Golden Boot Award.
It's been … a year.
Thank you for sticking with us through it all, #RSL family.
Better days are on the horizon. pic.twitter.com/GDUdMnYf3q
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) November 9, 2020
Defensive Player Of The Year
Aaron Herrera
Herrera just finished his third season with RSL. He has been a constant defensive stopper at right back for Real Salt Lake. The Real Salt Lake Academy product led the team with 1,706 minutes played while starting in all of his 20 appearances in 2020. Herrera racked up 49 tackles and 43 dribbles completed, which both led RSL. He finished second with 36 interceptions and 9 blocks.
It’s the second Defensive Player of the Year award for Herrera. He is the fifth RSL defender to win the award multiple times, joining Eddie Pope, Nat Borchers, Nick Rimando and Justen Glad.
Jordan Guernsey Humanitarian Of The Year
Kyle Beckerman
Beckerman received the Jordan Guernsey Humanitarian of the Year award for his wide-ranging and extensive work in the community. It’s the third straight season the RSL captain has won the award. Over the last two years, Beckerman has focused his time helping kids on the Indian Reservations with his “Light the Res” project. He and the RSL Foundation auctioned off the 2019 Parley Jerseys to raise money to install solar on 13 homes on the Navajo Reservation.
When the pandemic hit, schools on the reservations shut down, leaving many students isolated without the essential supplies needed to learn. The “Light the Res” project quickly adapted to fill the needs of the students by supplying grade level distance learning kits to over 7,500 students on the reservations in Utah, Arizona and New Mexico.
It’s been an absolute honor, @kickback_nedum. pic.twitter.com/i6WuwUo3cn
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) November 9, 2020
All-Time Season-Ending Award Recipients
Most Valuable Player
- 2020: Damir Kreilach
- 2019: Everton Luiz
- 2018: Damir Kreilach
- 2017: Albert Rusnak
- 2016: Kyle Beckerman
- 2015: Javier Morales
- 2014: Joao Plata
- 2013: Kyle Beckerman
- 2012: Kyle Beckerman
- 2011: Kyle Beckerman
- 2010: Javier Morales
- 2009: Nat Borchers
- 2008: Javier Morales
- 2007: Nick Rimando
- 2006: Jeff Cunningham
- 2005: Andy Williams
Golden Boot Award
- 2020: Damir Kreilach
- 2019: Albert Rusnak
- 2018: Damir Kreilach
- 2017: Albert Rusnak
- 2016: Joao Plata
- 2015: Javier Morales
- 2014: Joao Plata
- 2013: Alvaro Saborio
- 2012: Alvaro Saborio
- 2011: Alvaro Saborio
- 2010: Alvaro Saborio
- 2009: Robbie Findley
- 2008: Yura Movsisyan
- 2007: Robbie Findley
- 2006: Jeff Cunningham
- 2005: Jason Kreis
Defensive Player Of The Year
- 2020: Aaron Herrera
- 2019: Aaron Herrera
- 2018: Brooks Lennon
- 2017: Justen Glad
- 2016: Justen Glad
- 2015: Aaron Maund
- 2014: Chris Schuler
- 2013: Nick Rimando
- 2012: Nick Rimando
- 2011: Nat Borchers
- 2010: Nat Borchers
- 2009: Jamison Olave
- 2008: Nat Borchers
- 2007: Eddie Pope
- 2006: Carey Talley
- 2005: Eddie Pope
Jordan Guernsey Humanitarian Of The Year
- 2020: Kyle Beckerman
- 2019: Kyle Beckerman
- 2018: Kyle Beckerman
- 2017: Justin Schmidt
- 2016: Jordan Allen and Justen Glad
- 2015: Abdoulie Mansally
- 2014: Abdoulie Mansally
- 2013: Chris Wingert
- 2012: Will Johnson
- 2011: Jean Alexandre
- 2010: Jean Alexandre
- 2009: Robbie Russell
- 2008: Nat Borchers
- 2007: Carey Talley
- 2006: Seth Trembly
- 2005: Brian Kamler
