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Major League Soccer today announced New England Revolution midfielder Carles Gil as the 2019 MLS Newcomer of the Year. The award recognizes the year’s most impactful new MLS player, who has prior professional experience. Gil shone the brightest among a class of nearly 200 star-studded newcomers that averaged 23.56 years of age and hailed from 48 countries.
Joining New England from Spanish side Deportivo de La Coruña, Gil arrived in MLS with more than 180 appearances across his eight-year senior career, which included stints at Aston Villa in England, and Valencia CF and Elche CF in Spain. The 26-year-old Spaniard became an immediate staple during his first season with the Revolution, earning him the captain’s armband and establishing an essential playmaking role that spearheaded the Revolution’s path to securing their first spot in the Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs since 2015.
Commanding the pitch with creativity, the experienced attacking midfielder contributed 10 goals and 14 assists and started in all 34 matches, missing just eight minutes of regular season action. Gil finished the season ranked among the league’s top playmakers, placing first among all newcomers – and tied for fifth overall – with 24 combined goals and assists. His 14 helpers ranked fifth in MLS and paced all newcomers. Those totals made Gil one of only four MLS players to reach double digits in goals and assists this season.
Video soundbytes will be available HERE by Wednesday afternoon.
The Valencia native beat out for the award other standout players integral toward their respective clubs advancing to the Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs, including Héber (New York City FC) and fellow Spaniard Alejandro Pozuelo (Toronto FC), among many others. New England Revolution’s 2019 top goalscorer had a goal and an assist in three consecutive games (July 17-27), one game shy of the MLS record.
New England Revolution will visit defending MLS Cup champions Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Round 1 of the Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs on Saturday, October 19 (1 p.m. ET, Univision, TUDN, TVA Sports, TSN4)
The Newcomer of the Year Award recognizes players with previous professional experience but who are in their first year playing in MLS, which makes rookies ineligible for consideration. Similarly, players eligible for Newcomer of the Year are ineligible for Rookie of the Year.
