Donovan Ricketts named best Goalkeeper in Major League Soccer

Jamaican international Donovan Ricketts is for the second time in his career being recognized as the best goalkeeper in Major League Soccer.

This after he was named winner of the 2013 Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Award.

Ricketts – who topped four-time nominee Nick Rimando of Real Salt Lake and 2012 award winner Jimmy Nielsen of Sporting Kansas City in the voting – also won the award in 2010, when he helped lead the LA Galaxy to the Supporters’ Shield.

He now becomes the fourth player in league history to win the award multiple times, joining Zach Thornton, Joe Cannon and Pat Onstad.

The 36 year old joined that rare group after a season when he proved indispensible for the Timbers, who battled injuries to their backline all season long. Despite most attention placed on the Timbers’ explosive offensive attack, Ricketts was just as impressive in net, finishing with career highs in shutouts (14) and saves (92) while posting a 0.97 goals-against average, second in the league behind Nielsen (.88) among goalkeepers with at least 20 appearances.

The only time he posted better numbers was during that award-winning season in 2010, when he finished with a suffocating 0.90 goals-against average and 18 wins for the Galaxy. Ricketts battled injuries for much of 2011 and did not play in the final when the Galaxy won the MLS Cup, and he was sent packing to the Montreal Impact in favor of worthy backup Josh Saunders following the season.

Ricketts floundered for 24 games with the expansion Impact in 2012 before the Timbers came calling that August in a deal for fan favorite Troy Perkins, and the rest has been a match made in heaven for both parties since the deal.

His level of play for Portland this season also saw him being named to the MLS Best XI as well as being nominated for both the MLS and CONCACAF Goalkeeper of the Year awards.

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