Nemanja Nikolic Chicago Fire

Nemanja Nikolic named Goal's MLS Newcomer of the Year

If you're looking for a way to win a Newcomer of the Year award in any league, being the leading scorer is probably the best way to go. 

While the Chicago Fire took plenty of headlines in the offseason and early in the 2017 season after acquiring a trio of well-known midfielders in Bastian Schweinsteiger, former MLS Cup winner Juninho and MLS All-Star Dax McCarty, the signing of Nemanja Nikolic in December of 2016 flew somewhat under the radar. 

The Hungarian international came in on a designated player contract with a big reputation as a goalscorer in some of Europe's smaller leagues, but was far from a household name among MLS fans. 

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That all changed quickly. 

After not scoring in the opening match of the season, Nikolic rolled to 10 goals in the next 10 games. 

His season total of 24 was enough to win MLS' Golden Boot and just three shy of the league's single-season record. 

Nikolic was named Fire Most Valuable Player in his first season with the club after helping the team to a third-place finish in the Eastern Conference. His goal total was a club record, six clear of the 18 Ante Razov scored in 2000, while he also became just the third player in Fire history to start 34 games in a season.  

His reliability and scoring prowess helped the 29-year-old pick up four of the six first-place votes among Goal staff to take home our Newcomer of the Year award. 

Nikolic stat

Honorable mentions

2. Miguel Almiron: Atlanta United's playmaker had a stellar first season in MLS and quickly became one of the most valuable attacking players in the league. His nine goals and 14 assists helped his side to a fourth place finish in the Eastern Conference in the club's expansion season. 

3. Victor Vazquez: Toronto FC had one of the greatest regular seasons in MLS history, so it should be no surprise to see the club's biggest offseason addition on this list. The former Cruz Azul midfielder racked up eight goals and 16 assists for the Supporters' Shield winning side, helping to the club to an MLS record point tally. 

4. Josef Martinez: Along with Almiron, Martinez helped Atlanta become a force in the club's first MLS season. The 24-year-old showcased his pace and nose for goal in his MLS debut season, finishing with 19 goals in just 20 appearances. 

5. Romain Alessandrini: Despite an uncharacteristically poor season from the LA Galaxy, the 28-year-old French midfielder had a strong first year in MLS. With 13 goals and 12 assists, the former Marseille man was just about the only real bright spot for a Galaxy side that finished with the third-worst record in the league. 
 

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