2022-03-31, 12:24 PM - Word count:
S2 Awards The third season of the SSL is upon us but there is still something missing from our second season, the individual Awards! Without a current Award Committee, All 10 Current Managers sent in ballots for the Most Valuable Player (MVP), the Manager of the Season, Rookie of the Year and the SSL Team of the Season. The Team of the Season was formed in a 4-4-2 formation which meant that two forwards, two wingers (ML, AML, MR, AMR), two central midfielders (AMC, MC, DMC), two widebacks (DL, DR, WBL, WBR), two centerbacks, and a goalkeeper would make the final team for the awards. While we are shooting for awards show-type streams in the future, for this season, we will find out all the results in this post, down below.
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Manager of the Season
Winner: @3lewsers, Hollywood Football Club
For the first award of the night, we look at the Manager of the Season award. 3lewsers lead a transformation of Hollywood from a porous Season 1 team, to an absolutely lethal team in S2. Hollywood, led by Zodiac and the attacking front three, were able to take down the first official double in the league history. Hollywood finished with a 12-0-2 Record while pouring 40 goals. Honourable mention goes out to Omnicius from Catalunya who was the only other Manager to receive votes (3). Hollywood looks well poised after an off-season that saw them protect the core of their squad, but only time will tell in 3lewsers is able to continue to hold off the rest of the league.
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Team of the Season
Goalkeeper:
Winner: Jannik Andersen @AW13, Athenai FC
There was a clear cut choice in our second season as to who was the best goalie. Andersen brought home 7 votes as best goalkeeper. Andersen lead the league in clean sheets, save percentage, and least goals allowed while being a rock for Athenai. In league play, Andersen kept opposing teams to an average of less than a goal per game, a big key for the success of their team.
Honourable mentions go our to Tony Yeboah
, Scott Sterling , and Adam Rage 
who all took home 1 vote each.Wideback:
Winner: Gerald Gerrard @Sburbine, Hollywood Football Club
Winner: Ask Jeeves @fútboliscool, Cairo City Football Club
To start off in defence, we have the widebacks. The best two were chosen from the pool of wingbacks and fullbacks all together, not looking at which side of the field they played on.
Starting with Gerrard, who lead all widebacks in passing and cross percentages while chipping in 4 assists. They were a key driver in offence for Hollywood and helped created space, and facilitate the strikers in their trigger happy system.
Jeeves was an all-around contributor for Cairo City. Being both a good offensive driver and chipping in solid defensive stats as well. They also helped provide some key assists for a team that often struggled to score goals.
Honourable mentions go out to Timo Reinmann (3), Linnea Nesse (2), Mazrim Taim (1), Deedee Yoker (1) who also received votes.
Centerback:
Winner: Dorian Lexington @Toast, Montreal United
Winner: Henrik Lind @Canadice, Athenai Football Club
Now it’s time to look at the pillars in defence. These two positions saw 9 different players get a vote and was the tightest race for any of our awards.
Lexington was a clear favourite from the voters, taking home 7 votes. Lexington lead all CBs in Key Passes and was an all-around defensive wall for United. They brought goal involvements and their own strike during the season as well.
Lind on the other hand was the key cog in the leagues tightest defense. Leading by example and taking home two player of the matches (Lexington as well). In a key metric for CBs. Lind lead all CBs in Key Headers which helped Athenai defend well from corners and set pieces.
Honourable mentions go out to Connor Azpilacueta (2), Mikko Jarvala (2), Spack Jarrow (2), D. Doofenshmirtz (1), Jökull Júlíusson (1), Eirlys Snooks (1), Pasta the Turtle (1) who all received votes
Winger:
Winner: K Clamence @captjanko, Inter London Football Club
Winner: Ketchup Noodle@Tylar, FC Rio (now Seoul)
Looking at the wingers, one thing in similar between both winners is their offensive prowess.
Clamence was able to add eleven goals on their own while also chipping in eight assists. That is a whopping 19 goal involvements during the season for Clamence. They are also the only player to appear in both the S1 and S2 Team of the Year.
The Rookie Noodle brought forth some fantastic playmaking creation for his club as well. They provided ten goal involvements (four goals) for a team that often struggled to finish. Where Noodle truly shone was their ability to create chances. With a whopping 94 key passes into dangerous areas for FC Rio, no other Winger was able to come even close to that kind of offensive creation metrics.
An honourable mention goes out to Kiang Kuai who also took home 2 votes.
Center Midfielder:
Winner: Budget Busquets @omniscius, Football Club de Catalunya
Winner: Mikko Rashford @RashfordU, Hollywood Football Club
There was nothing budget about Busquets in Season 2, and the voters agreed. No player in the midfield touched the ball as much as Busquets. Budget helped facilitate the entire teams workings and saw Catalunya take an expansion team into the top half of the league table. They contributed both in the offensive and defensive ends of the pitch and help Catalunya draw a league leading 7 times.
When it came to offensive production, few central midfielders provided as much for the rest of their team as Rashford did. With 50 key passes to go along with 18 chances created (lead all CMs), Rashford was able to take home 3 player of the matches during the season while also providing the team with great box to box play.
Honourable mentions go to Jakup Larson (4), George Gordon (1), Emilliano-Yoichi Isagi (1) who also received votes.
Striker:
Winner: Ricky Bobby @Gordon Bombay, Hollywood Football Club
Winner: Hunter Jones @Thunder39, Hollywood Football Club
It might come as no surprise to anyone that followed Season 2 that these two Strikers dominated the opposition. Bobby, poured in eighteen goals and five assists while Jones was no slouch themselves with eleven goals and eight assists. They terrorized opponents with nearly a combined 100 shots on target between the two of them. Both players excelled in the air, on the ground, and helped not only finish chances, but create them for their teammates. Combined, these two netted seven players-of-the-match awards.
Honourable mention goes out to Tiki Taka (1), Franco Torres (1), Owen Four-Four (1) who also received votes.
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Golden Boot
Winner: Ricky Bobby @Gordon Bombay, Hollywood Football Club
- 18 GoalsAs previously mentioned, Bobby was a force to be reckoned with in S2. Whether it was via aerial attack, or in a counter-attack, Bobby was often the one finishing it off for Hollywood during their quest for the double.
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Rookie of the Year
Winner: Ketchup Noodle @Tylar, FC Rio (now Seoul)
As mentioned previously, Noodle was a force to be reckoned with. Though the team's success was not there, Noodle was a lone bright spot for a team destined to make a jump in Season 3. Noodle had some stiff competition in the Rookie of the Year race as both Owen Four-Four (3), Dorian Lexington (2) took home votes as well. All three were absolutely bright spots for their clubs and appear to be key pieces to the future success of their teams.
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Most Valuable Player
Winner: Ricky Bobby @Gordon Bombay, Hollywood Football Club
A name mentioned many times before in this post, but absolutely deserving. Ricky Bobby is the SSL Season 2 Most Valuable Player. Bobby was the only player in the league to win an award unanimously and it is clearly well deserved. Hollywood would not have seen the success they did in S2 if it was not for the lethal attacking creativity and power that Bobby brought.
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Complete Results for Voting Below
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Written by @RashfordU on behalf of the BoD.
Massive thanks to @Drokeep and @solas for their work in graphics
