Nicolas Lodeiro only has 13 regular season matches under his belt, but the Uruguayan playmaker already has claimed his first piece of MLS hardware.
The Seattle Sounders midfielder was named the 2016 MLS Newcomer of the Year on Monday, fending off competition from fellow finalists Ola Kamara and Jelle Van Damme.
Lodeiro compiled four goals and eight assists after joining the Sounders from Argentine power Boca Juniors in late July. Seattle went 7-2-4 with Lodeiro in the lineup, surging from ninth in the Western Conference to a fourth-place finish.
The 27-year-old easily won all three voting blocs — players, media and club executives — to finish with an average of 37 percent of the vote. Columbus Crew striker Kamara finished second with 22 percent, while LA Galaxy center back Van Damme (13 percent) and Colorado Rapids winger Shkelzen Gashi (10 percent) rounded out the top four.
Lodeiro and the Sounders return to the field Tuesday for their Western Conference final first leg against the Rapids at CenturyLink Field.
