Our local MLS team, the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, has announced that defender Austin Berry and captain Logan Pause have been named 2012 MLS Rookie of the Year and 2012 Xbox Individual Fair Play Award winners, respectively.
By winning this year’s edition of the award, Berry is now the third player in Fire history to be named the MLS Rookie of the Year and has the club hold the most Rookie of the Year honors in MLS history. The previous club winners were Carlos Bocanegra in 2000 and Damani Ralph in 2003.
Austin Berry beat out fellow finalists D.C. United midfielder Nick DeLeon and Vancouver Whitecaps FC forward Darren Mattocks for the award by receiving more than 50 percent of the media and MLS club votes.
Chicago Fire captain Logan Pause was named the 2012 Xbox Individual Fair Play Award winner, the club’s first ever recipient of the award. In his 10th season for the Fire, the team captain started in 31 of the 32 matches he appeared in committing just 11 fouls and receiving no red or yellow cards along the way.
The second year Fire captain beat out Chivas USA defender Ante Jazic and New York Red Bulls defender Heath Pearce as finalists for the award.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3JJyLNkVyM]
via the Chicago Fire website
