The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced its annual team award winners Monday, naming David Accam Most Valuable Player and Golden Boot winner, and defender Johan Kappelhof as Defensive Player of the Year.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER/GOLDEN BOOT: Midfielder David Accam was named the Chicago Fire Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season. In 24 league matches, Accam scored nine goals and tallied five assists. Accam had the 80th minute game winner over the New England Revolution on Oct. 16. The Ghanaian international also scored in all of the Fire’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matches, including a brace in the Fire’s 2-1 win over Columbus Crew SC in the Round of 16 on June 28. Accam’s team-high 14 goals across all competitions netted him the team’s Golden Boot for the second year. Watch some of Accam's 2016 highlights here.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: In his first season with the Fire, defender Johan Kappelhof has been named Defensive Player of the Year. Tied with Jonathan Campbell for a team-high 33 league appearances, Kappelhof made 85 clearances, 17 blocks and 113 interceptions during his first MLS campaign. The Dutch defender additionally appeared in all four of the Fire’s Open Cup matches as the side reached the semifinal round. View a sample of Kappelhof's 2016 highlights here.
