New England Revolution midfielder Carles Gil has won Major League Soccer’s Most Valuable Player award, the league announced on Tuesday.
Gil was a key cog in the Revolution’s spectacular regular-season run that saw the team win the Supporters’ Shield and amass an MLS-record 73 points.
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The Spanish midfielder and club captain had a league-leading 18 assists alongside four goals for the Revs in the 2021 season. Gil collected 10 assists in New England’s opening 10 games — matching the MLS record for most assists from the start of a season. He is the second Revs player to win the award, following Taylor Twellman in 2005.
Despite earning the top seed for the MLS Cup playoffs, Gil and the Revolution were bounced out in the conference semifinals by eventual East champions New York City FC, who will face the Portland Timbers in the final on Sunday (watch LIVE on ABC/stream on ESPN+).
The MVP award is yet another end-of-season individual accolade for Gil, who already has been named the Comeback Player of the Year and included in the MLS Best XI. He is the third player from Spain to win MVP, following last year’s winner, Alejandro Pozuelo (Toronto FC), and David Villa (NYCFC) in 2016.
Gil, 29, joined New England in 2019 as a designated player and was named Newcomer of the Year and to the MLS Best XI that season. He had missed most of the 2020 campaign with an Achilles injury.
Others from the Revolution to win individual awards this season were Coach of the Year Bruce Arena and Goalkeeper of the Year Matt Turner.
Gil finished ahead of Nashville SC midfielder Hany Mukhtar, who finished second after leading MLS in combined goals and assists, and Seattle Sounders FC midfielder João Paulo, who finished third.
