Major League Soccer announced Thursday that Minnesota United FC’s Vito Mannone has been voted its goalkeeper of the year.

The 31-year-old Italian goalkeeper enjoyed a memorable 2019 MLS season in which he set several season club records, including wins (15), saves (129) and shutouts (11), as the club reached the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time in its three-year MLS history.

Mannone was an integral part of Minnesota’s improved defense and led the team to the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final.

He received 17.67 percent of the vote, followed by D.C. United’s Bill Hamid (13.33 percent) and New York City FC’s Sean Johnson (10.98 percent).

Mannone’s 129 saves ranked second in the league as he set a club record with a 259-minute shutout streak. MNUFC’s 43 goals conceded during the regular season ranked third lowest in the Western Conference – a significant accomplishment for a team that conceded a conference-high 71 goals in 2018 and a league-high 70 goals in 2017.

With first-year MLS player Mannone anchoring this year’s club, Minnesota posted a 28-goal decrease from 2018, which represented the third-best turnaround in league history. Mannone is the first Minnesota United player to win the goalkeeper of the year award.

The goalkeeper of the year award was voted on by MLS club technical staff, media and current MLS players. Below is a breakdown of the voting results:

Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Player % Club % Media % Final %
Vito Mannone (MIN) 13.75% 25.51% 13.74% 17.67%
Bill Hamid (DC) 4.47% 12.24% 23.28% 13.33%
Sean Johnson (NYC) 14.09% 11.22% 7.63% 10.98%
Brad Guzan (ATL) 14.78% 7.14% 7.25% 9.72%
Matt Turner (NE) 2.75% 11.22% 10.69% 8.22%
Tyler Miller (LAFC) 9.97% 6.12% 4.58% 6.89%
Maxime Crépeau (VAN) 3.78% 6.12% 7.63% 5.85%

Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Winners:
2019: Vito Mannone – Minnesota United FC
2018: Zack Steffen – Columbus Crew SC
2017: Tim Melia – Sporting Kansas City
2016: Andre Blake – Philadelphia Union
2015: Luis Robles – New York Red Bulls
2014: Bill Hamid – D.C. United
2013: Donovan Ricketts – Portland Timbers
2012: Jimmy Nielsen – Sporting Kansas City
2011: Kasey Keller – Seattle Sounders FC
2010: Donovan Ricketts – LA Galaxy
2009: Zach Thornton – Chivas USA
2008: Jon Busch – Chicago Fire
2007: Brad Guzan – Chivas USA
2006: Troy Perkins – D.C. United
2005: Pat Onstad – San Jose Earthquakes
2004: Joe Cannon – Colorado Rapids
2003: Pat Onstad – San Jose Earthquakes
2002: Joe Cannon – San Jose Earthquakes
2001: Tim Howard – MetroStars
2000: Tony Meola – Kansas City Wizards
1999: Kevin Hartman – LA Galaxy
1998: Zach Thornton – Chicago Fire
1997: Brad Friedel – Columbus Crew SC
1996: Mark Dodd – Dallas Burn

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.