Columbus Crew defender Steven Moreira named MLS Defender of the Year

MLS has named Columbus Crew centerback Steven Moreira as their recipient of the 2024 Defender of the Year award. The 30-year-old was an integral part of Wilfried Nancy's squad that made it to the final of the Concacaf Champions Cup, earned the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference in the playoffs and won the 2024 Leagues Cup.

Inter Miami defender Jordi Alba came second in voting, while Seattle Sounders Jackson Ragen came in third.

The Crew conceded just 29 goals (1.2 goals per-game) when Moreira started (23 of his 27 matches were starts), and claimed six of their 10 shutouts with him on the pitch this season. He ranked second in defenders among goal-contributions this season as well, scoring twice and recording six assists.

He joins Chad Marshall (2008, 2009) and Robin Fraser (2004) as the winners of the award from the Crew organization.

He claimed 32.4 percent of the media vote, 13.92 percent of the player vote and 9.38 percent of the club vote to earn a total voting percentage of 18.57 percent. Alba narrowly trailed with 15.5 percent of the total vote while Ragen was behind with 8.85 percent.

During Cape Verde's phenomenal Africa Cup of Nations run in early 2024, Moreira started four out of their five matches as they reached the semifinals of the competition. The defender played a key role in their performance during the tournament.

The Crew are now in offseason mode as they prepare for the 2025 campaign after exiting the playoffs in Round One after falling to the New York Red Bulls. Moreira and Co. will return to the pitch in the new year for preseason.