Bradley, Johnson lead U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year nominees

By Kyle McCarthy
Published

United States captain Michael Bradley and Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Fabian Johnson highlight a five-player shortlist for the U.S. Soccer male player of the year award.

Three-time winner Clint Dempsey, Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan and Sunderland defender DeAndre Yedlin also earned nominations after their contributions this year, U.S. Soccer revealed on Monday.

U.S. Soccer is expected to announce the winner on Dec. 18 after conducting a vote among current and former players, selected media members and technical staffers.

Bradley looms as the favorite to scoop the award for the first time after a series of influential displays for his country this year.

Toronto FC midfielder Bradley, 28, shined in the victories over Germany and the Netherlands earlier this year and took over the captaincy ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. He also reached 100 caps for his career -- making him the fourth youngest player to reach a century -- and registered a team-high six assists.

Dempsey and Johnson represent the primary alternatives after playing key roles over the course of this year.

Seattle Sounders forward Dempsey, 32, once again led the U.S. in scoring with nine goals. His haul included Golden Boot honors at the Gold Cup with seven goals. Those exploits place him in contention to win the award for a fourth time (2007, 2011, 2012), but his absence from the opening pair of World Cup qualifiers and his suspension for confronting a referee and ripping up his notebook in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match earlier this year might count against him.

Johnson, 28, made a career-high 13 appearances for the U.S. this year and underscored his credentials as one of the top options at Jurgen Klinsmann's disposal. He also stood out as one of the few American players to obtain any measure of success in Europe this season after featuring in the UEFA Champions League for Mönchengladbach.

Guzan and Yedlin round out the list of nominees after submitting their finest years as national team players. Guzan earned Golden Glove honors at the Gold Cup after serving as the number one in that tournament, while Yedlin made 19 appearances and produced five assists during this year.