In an entirely unsurprising move, MLS announced today that Canadian international Dwayne De Rosario has been named to the three-man shortlist for the league's Most Valuable Player Award.
De Rosario is up against Brad Davis of the Houston Dynamo, and FC Dallas' Brek Shea. The league will announce the winner of the award on November 18th.
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After racking up 16 goals and 12 assists between three MLS teams during the 2011 regular season, De Rosario was considered a no-brainer to be named as an MVP candidate.
Davis, who led the league in assists with 16 (while also chipping in four goals), was also thought to be a lock as an MVP finalist.
The only surprising finalist is 21-year-old Shea, who took the reigns of Dallas' offence after the club's key creative threat Davide Ferreira was felled by injury early into the 2011 campaign. Shea's 11 goals and four assists don't stand out as much as Davis' and DeRo's numbers, but the lanky youngester's stellar play buoyed Dallas during a heavy schedule and caught the eye of US national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
The league also announced the finalists in all of their other end-of-season awards, including Newcomer of the Year candidate Eric Hassli of the Vancouver Whitecaps. Hassli's competition for the award are Seattle Sounders catalyst Mauro Rosales and New York sparkplug Luke Rodgers.