NEW YORK – On the eve of its MLS Cup Playoff game against the Red Bulls, Columbus Crew SC registered a pair of wins Friday.

Midfielder Darlington Nagbe has named winner of the MLS goal of the year while teammate and goalkeeper Eloy Room earrned save of the year honors.

Nagbe was honored his curling strike off of a volley in Crew SC’s match against Chicago Fire FC Aug. 20.

He scored after taking over a dribble from Gyasi Zardes and popping the ball up to himself for a perfect prep touch to hit his 81st minute screamer from the top of the box. The stunning goal marked the midfielder’s first and only score of the 2020 season, and it was accompanied by an assist in the match that led to Crew SC’s 3-0 win.

The award was determined by fan votes on MLSsoccer.com and has been awarded since the league’s inaugural 1996 season.

Room has honored for his double save in Crew SC’s match against Orlando City SC Nov.4.

He performed his heroics in the 30th minute that featured a kick save from the ground before the goalkeeper returned to his feet to make a diving save that stopped a low driven ball bound for the bottom left corner.

The Curaçao international, with 17 starts and appearance, tied for third most shutouts in MLS this year with his seven clean sheets. That helped Columbus finish the regular season tied for a league-high of nine shutouts with Nashville SC, the Philadelphia Union, and Toronto FC.

The save of the year was determined by fan votes on MLSsoccer.com, and the award was established in 2009.

 

All-time MLS Goal of the Year winners:
2020: Darlington Nagbe – Columbus Crew SC | 8/20/20 vs. Chicago Fire FC, 81st minute
2019: Josef Martínez – Atlanta United | 9/18/19 vs. FC Cincinnati, 65th minute
2018: Zlatan Ibrahimović – LA Galaxy | 3/31/18 vs. Los Angeles Football Club, 77th minute
2017: Héctor Villalba – Atlanta United | 7/21/17 vs. Orlando City SC, 86th minute
2016: Shkëlzen Gashi – Colorado Rapids | 9/24/16 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 75th minute
2015: Krisztián Németh – Sporting Kansas City | 10/4/15 vs. Portland Timbers, 83rd minute
2014: Obafemi Martins – Seattle Sounders FC | 5/23/14 vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 8th minute
2013: Camilo Sanvezzo – Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 10/6/13 vs. Portland Timbers, 78th minute
2012: Patrick Ianni – Seattle Sounders FC | 6/20/12 vs. Sporting Kansas City, 15th minute
2011: Darlington Nagbe – Portland Timbers | 7/2/11 vs. Sporting Kansas City, 45th minute
2010: Marco Pappa – Chicago Fire | 4/10/10 vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 52nd minute
2009: Landon Donovan – LA Galaxy | 8/8/09 vs. New England Revolution, 21st minute
2008: Will Johnson – Real Salt Lake | 10/18/08 vs. FC Dallas, 54th minute
2007: Cuauhtémoc Blanco – Chicago Fire | 8/18/07 vs. Real Salt Lake, 43rd minute
2006: Brian Ching – Houston Dynamo | 9/30/06 v D.C. United, 86th minute
2005: Dwayne De Rosario – San Jose Earthquakes | 10/15/05 vs. LA Galaxy, 45th minute
2004: Dwayne De Rosario – San Jose Earthquakes | 8/7/04 vs. D.C. United, 82nd minute
2003: Damani Ralph – Chicago Fire | 8/13/03 vs. Columbus Crew SC, 90th minute
2002: Carlos Ruiz – LA Galaxy | 7/27/02 vs. Columbus Crew SC, 75th minute
2001: Clint Mathis – MetroStars | 4/28/01 vs. Dallas Burn, 60th minute
2000: Marcelo Balboa – Colorado Rapids | 4/22/00 vs. Columbus Crew SC, 55th minute
1999: Marco Etcheverry – D.C. United | 5/22/99 vs. Miami Fusion, 90th minute
1998: Brian McBride – Columbus Crew | 7/9/98 vs. Chicago Fire, 68th minute
1997: Marco Etcheverry – D.C. United | 8/27/97 vs. New England Revolution, 39th minute
1996: Eric Wynalda – San Jose Clash | 4/6/96 vs. D.C. United, 88th minute

All-time MLS Save of the Year winners:
2020: Eloy Room – Columbus Crew SC | 11/4/20 vs. Orlando City SC, 30th minute
2019: Nick Rimando – Real Salt Lake | 8/24/19 vs. Colorado Rapids, 27th minute
2018: Stefan Frei – Seattle Sounders FC | 7/4/18 vs. Colorado Rapids, 82nd minute
2017: Brad Guzan – Atlanta United | 10/15/17 vs. New York Red Bulls, 65th minute
2016: Joe Bendik – Orlando City SC | 5/15/16 vs. Sporting Kansas City, 45th minute
2015: Adam Kwarasey – Portland Timbers | 8/15/15 vs. Real Salt Lake, 31st minute
2014: Luis Robles – New York Red Bulls | 9/20/14 vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 69th minute
2013: Nick Rimando – Real Salt Lake | 8/3/13 vs. Colorado Rapids, 53rd minute
2012: Nick Rimando – Real Salt Lake | 4/14/12 vs. Sporting Kansas City, 75th minute
2011: Kasey Keller – Seattle Sounders FC | 10/15/11 vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 64th minute
2010: Kasey Keller – Seattle Sounders FC | 4/17/10 vs. Kansas City Wizards, 90th+2 minute
2009: Pat Onstad – Houston Dynamo | 4/19/09 vs. Colorado Rapids, 83rd minute

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.