FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Revolution midfielder Carles Gil has been named the 2019 Major League Soccer Newcomer of the Year. The 26-year-old Spaniard becomes the first Revolution player to receive the honor, given annually to the best player with previous professional experience who made his MLS debut in 2019. Gil will lead the Revolution into the Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs against Atlanta United FC on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 1:00 p.m. ET (NBC Sports Boston / Univision).
The Newcomer of the Year Award, determined by votes from the media, MLS players, and club technical staffs, adds to an already impressive list of accolades for the club’s captain. After starting all 34 games of the regular season, Gil was voted the JetBlue Revolution Team MVP by fans, and named the Players’ Player of the Year by his teammates. The club’s supporters honored Gil as the Midnight Riders’ Man of the Year, and he also capped off the season by claiming the Revs’ Golden Boot trophy with team-highs of 10 goals and 14 assists.
Gil was one of three finalists for the 2019 Newcomer of the Year award, along with New York City FC’s Héber and Toronto FC’s Alejandro Pozuelo. Below is a breakdown of the voting results:
<strong><u>Newcomer of the Year</u></strong> |
<strong><u>Player %</u></strong> |
<strong><u>Club %</u></strong> |
<strong><u>Media %</u></strong> |
<strong><u>Final %</u></strong> |
<strong>Carles Gil (NE)</strong> |
<strong>12.16%</strong> |
<strong>21.43%</strong> |
<strong>25.10%</strong> |
<strong>19.56%</strong> |
<p>Héber (NYC)</p> |
<p>8.78%</p> |
<p>15.31%</p> |
<p>28.57%</p> |
<p>17.55%</p> |
<p>Alejandro Pozuelo (TOR)</p> |
<p>18.58%</p> |
<p>5.10%</p> |
<p>12.36%</p> |
<p>12.01%</p> |
<p>Alexandru Mitriță (NYC)</p> |
<p>11.15%</p> |
<p>15.31%</p> |
<p>1.54%</p> |
<p>9.33%</p> |
<p>Gustavo Bou (NE)</p> |
<p>6.76%</p> |
<p>9.18%</p> |
<p>4.63%</p> |
<p>6.86%</p> |
<p>Cristian Pavón (LA)</p> |
<p>6.08%</p> |
<p>9.18%</p> |
<p>3.86%</p> |
<p>6.38%</p> |
<p>Brian Fernández (POR)</p> |
<p>11.49%</p> |
<p>3.06%</p> |
<p>3.09%</p> |
<p>5.88%</p> |
<p>Eddie Segura (LAFC)</p> |
<p>0.68%</p> |
<p>10.20%</p> |
<p>3.47%</p> |
<p>4.78%</p> |
<p>Nani (ORL)</p> |
<p>5.07%</p> |
<p>2.04%</p> |
<p>2.32%</p> |
<p>3.14%</p> |
CARLES GIL’S 2019 SEASON AT A GLANCE:
- One of two Revolution players to start 34 games in a single season, playing all but eight minutes, and captained the side in 23 straight games to close the season.
- Voted the club’s JetBlue Revolution Team MVP by fans, Players’ Player of the Year by his teammates, and Midnight Riders’ Man of the Year by the club’s supporters.
- Earned the team’s Golden Boot trophy after becoming the second player in club history, and one of four in MLS this season, to reach double digits in goals (10) and assists (14).
- Ranked second in MLS and paced all MLS newcomers with 107 chances created, and finished fourth overall with 73 chances created from open play, according to Opta.
- Led all MLS players in possessions won in the final third (50) and successful passes ending in the final third (730), and ranked fourth league-wide with 2,662 touches.
Gil was signed by New England in February 2019 via a then-club-record transfer from Deportivo de La Coruña, and was added to the roster as a Designated Player. He entered 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. He is now the 13th recipient of the MLS Newcomer of the Year Award since its inception in 2007. A native of Valencia, Spain, he is one of only four players of European descent to earn the distinction. Only one Revolution player previously placed as a finalist for the honor – Jermaine Jones in 2014.
| MLS Newcomer of the Year Award Recipients | ||
| Year | Player | Club |
2007 | Luciano Emilio | D.C. United |
2008 | Darren Huckerby | San Jose Earthquakes |
2009 | Fredy Montero | Seattle Sounders FC |
2010 | Álvaro Saborío | Real Salt Lake |
2011 | Mauro Rosales | Seattle Sounders FC |
2012 | Federico Higuaín | Columbus Crew |
2013 | Diego Valeri | Portland Timbers |
2014 | Pedro Morales | Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
2015 | Sebastian Giovinco | Toronto FC |
2016 | Nicolas Lodeiro | Seattle Sounders FC |
2017 | Miguel Almirón | Atlanta United FC |
2018 | Zlatan Ibrahimović | LA Galaxy |
2019 | Carles Gil | New England Revolution |
Gil finished the season ranked among the league’s top playmakers, placing first among all newcomers – and tied for fourth overall – with 22 combined goals and primary assists. His 14 helpers ranked fifth in MLS and paced all newcomers, while his 12 primary assists were tied for second-most league-wide. Those totals made Gil one of only four MLS players to reach double digits in goals and assists this season, and the second Revolution player to accomplish the feat along with Lee Nguyen (2017).
The midfielder catalyzed the Revolution attack throughout 2019, recording the fourth most touches in MLS (2,662) and notching 107 chances created according to Opta, second-most in the league and first among all newcomers by a margin of 24. In addition, he ranked fourth in MLS with 73 chances created from open play, and paced the league with 730 successful passes into the final third. Gil’s impact was also evident on the defensive side of the ball, where he won 50 possessions in the final third, 12 more than the next-closest player. His 239 possessions won overall also ranked first among MLS newcomers.
New England returns to action in Round One of the Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs on Saturday, October 19 at 1:00 p.m. ET, broadcast nationally on Univision and locally on NBC Sports Boston. The match also airs on the radio at 98.5 The Sports Hub, and in Portuguese on 1260 AM Nossa Radio. For up-to-the-minute information on the Revolution, visit the team’s official website at revolutionsoccer.net, or join the conversation and interact with fans on any of the team’s social platforms
