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Sebastian Giovinco runs away with MLS Newcomer of the Year award

Sebastian Giovinco runs away with MLS Newcomer of the Year award

Sebastian Giovinco made short work of MLS in his first season, and with awards season in full swing while the league winds down to its championship weekend early next month, the Toronto FC attacker remains on the attack.

Giovinco was an overwhelming choice for the league’s Newcomer of the Year award announced Monday, topping Montreal’s Didier Drogba and Mike Grella of the New York Red Bulls in voting by club management (where he received 67 per cent of votes), media (83 per cent) and MLS players (57 per cent). The 28-year-old Italy international shared the league lead in goals with 22 and led MLS with 16 assists, good for the Audi Golden Boot award and the first time an MLS player has struck for 20 goals and 10+ assists, marking him a strong contender for the Landon Donovan Most Valuable Player award to be announced Dec. 2.

Giovinco also has a couple of those goals up for consideration in Goal of the Year reckoning, to be announced Dec. 3, and is a cinch to make the league’s Best XI of the season, to be announced Nov. 29.

Columbus forward Kei Kamara and Sporting Kansas City midfielder Benny Feilhaber are also finalists for the MVP award, named for the retired U.S. international Donovan earlier this year.