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Yallop edges Hudson Quakes boss is coach of year; Faria wins rookie honor
Updated: Wednesday October 17, 2001 1:50 PM
ATLANTA (CNNSI.com) -- San Jose Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop edged out Miami Fusion coach Ray Hudson for Major League Soccer coach of the year, the league announced on Wednesday. The two coaches' teams will square off on Wednesday night in the decisive third game of their MLS semifinal series. The winner advances to Sunday's MLS Cup championship game (12:30 p.m. ET; ABC). MLS also announced that MetroStars forward Rodrigo Faria was named the 2001 rookie of the year. In his first season as head coach, Yallop directed the Quakes to a 13-7-6 mark (45 points), good for second place in the Western Division and their first playoff appearance since 1996.
Yallop guided San Jose to third best turnaround in league history after inheriting a team that finished in last place in the Western Division in 2000 with a 7-17-8 record. Hired just three days before the 2001 MLS draft, Yallop transformed the Earthquakes into an MLS Cup contender. An English native, Yallop is a former member of the Canadian national team. He played three season with the Tampa Bay Mutiny and was later an assistant in Tampa and D.C. Other than former New England player-coach Walter Zenga, he is the first MLS player to move on to a full-time head coaching assignment in the league.
Hudson, who took over the Fusion in the middle of last season, led the team to the league's best record (16-5-5, 53 points). Also an English native, Hudson starred in the North America Soccer League with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Although he began the season as a relative unknown, MetroStars forward Rodrigo Faria emerged to claim the 2001 Kellogg's Rookie of the Year Award. The 24-year-old striker appeared in 21 games and became the MetroStars offensive leader after All-Star Clint Mathis was lost for the season due to injury. Selected in the second round (13th overall) of the 2001 MLS SuperDraft, Faria tied the league rookie scoring record with eight goals, a total that led all first-year players and was also tops among the MetroStars.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Faria played at Division II Concordia College in Bronxville, N.Y., in 1999. He was the invited to join the MetroStars reserve team before later garnering a spot on Octavio Zambrano's roster in the 2001 preseason. The Rookie of the Year award goes to the player judged by MLS coaches, general managers, players and the Professional Soccer Reporters Association to be the best young performer who has no prior professional soccer playing experience before his MLS debut and/or has completed his college or high school eligibility within the last year. The Coach of the Year Award is given annually through a similar voting procedure.
Veteran American referee Paul Tamberino was honored with the Referee of the Year Award, capturing the title for the fourth consecutive season. Tamberino, a FIFA-accredited assistant referee, is a six-year veteran official of MLS. Tamberino, who is retiring from officiating following the 2001 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, will continue to train aspiring referees through his referee camp. He will serve as the fourth official during Sunday's MLS Cup 2001 championship game.
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