Voting for the 85th Annual MTRWestern Sports Star of the Year, a Seattle Sports Commission production, is now underway, with Sounders FC forward Raúl Ruidíaz nominated as one of six finalists for Male Sports Star.
Ruidíaz, 29, was integral to the Sounders winning the 2019 MLS Cup as he notched 11 goals and three assists during the regular season to secure the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. The Peruvian scoring machine raised his game even higher in the postseason, tallying four goals and four assists as Seattle lifted MLS Cup for the second time in club history.
“Forward Raúl Ruidíaz led the Sounders in scoring for the second straight season and this time helped them win the MLS Cup,” the Seattle Sports Commission wrote. “He had a goal and/or assist in each of Seattle’s four playoff games, including two goals to beat the league’s top team and another one to nail down the league championship.
Beyond Ruidíaz’s individual heroics, Seattle Sounders FC’s league championship is one of five nominees for Sports Story of the Year. In addition to winning MLS Cup, the club was recognized for reaching the playoffs for a league-record 11th straight year and for reaching the final for the third time in the past four seasons.
You can vote for Ruidíaz and Sounders FC here.
