Landon Donovan named US Male Athlete of the Year - 22/12/09
U.S. Soccer have named Landon Donovan as the 2009 Male Athlete of the Year and U.S. Women s National Team goalkeeper Hope Solo as the 2009 Female Athlete of the Year.
The U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award is the highest honor awarded to soccer players in the United States. The Male Athlete of the Year honor is the third for Donovan, who previously won back-to-back awards in 2003 and 2004. The 2009 prize ties the USA's all-time leading scorer with former Men's National Team goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who won the award in 1997, 1999 and 2005. Solo became the first goalkeeper to win Female Athlete of the Year.
It's a little known fact but the Athlete of the Year awards have a longer history than any major award in American soccer - more than 20 years. And like the FIFA Player of the Year award, they honour both the top male and the top female in the sport.
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It's been a busy week for the USA star, who first signed a new four-year contract to remain with his MLS team LA Galaxy before putting pen to paper and signing a deal with Premier League side Everton on a short-term loan. Donovan, who plays in Nike Mercurial Vapor soccer shoes, will now join the Toffees at the start of the January transfer window, staying until mid-March. The deal is now complete, subject to a successful work permit application. .
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"It's all done now," said Blues manager David Moyes at Friday's press conference. "Landon will join us at the start of January, He will come in and add pace, he's a good finisher and is captain of the USA national team so he has that experience. He is the first of two or three players I want to bring in in January."
Donovan, 27, is his country's leading international goalscorer and is also the USA's most capped player with 120 appearances. Regarded as his nation's best ever player, he won the MLS Most Valuable player and goal of the season awards for the 2009 campaign, which finished last month.
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