Down the stretch they came! October was the final month of the MLS regular season, and when the dust settled, 10 clubs were in the playoffs. The others went home early.
Fitting then that the five candidates for the Etihad Airways MLS Player of the Month award in October played major roles in their clubs' playoff chases.
How it works: At the end of each month, the MLSsoccer.com editorial staff selects the five final nominees. These are then put to a vote among you, the fans. Voting for the October POTM will be open until 11:59 pm PT, Wednesday, October 29. The winner will be revealed on the morning of Thursday, October 30.
Ethan Finlay, Columbus Crew — The third-year player cemented his “breakout” status with three goals and two assists in October, lifting his season total to 11 goals and 7 assists. The Crew went 3-1 and climbed to 3rd place in the standings.
Obafemi Martins, Seattle Sounders — A leading candidate for the Volkswagen MLS MVP award, the Nigerian international hit two goals and three assists in the month. That includes assists on the two goals in the Sounders’ 2-2 draw against the LA Galaxy in their penultimate match and the game-winning assist in the side’s season-ending win over LA to clinch the Supporters’ Shield.
Lee Nguyen, New England Revolution — The talismanic attacker scored five goals as the Revs went 3-0-1 in October, including a super-classy AT&T Goal of the Week winner. He finished with 18 goals on the season, fourth most in the league and the most ever in MLS by a pure midfielder.
Rodney Wallace, Portland Timbers — As the Timbers made their mad dash for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, the versatile Costa Rican international proved his mettle and worth with three goals in October, including two match-winners. If he hadn’t missed the first half of the season with an injury, some argue, the Timbers might not have missed the playoffs.
Kendall Waston, Vancouver Whitecaps — One of the most influential mid-season signings in MLS, the Costa Rican international shored up the Vancouver back line, leading them to four straight shutouts in an undefeated month (3-0-1). But most of all, he powered home the lone goal in the Caps’ playoff-clinching 1-0 win over Colorado in the season finale.
