NWSL: Heath and Long head MVP finalists

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Sep 28, 2016

Tobin Heath and Allie Long, teammates on the regular-season champion Portland Thorns and the U.S. national team and before that teammates at the University of North Carolina, are finalists for the NWSL's 2016 MVP award.

The other finalists are the Houston Dash's Kealia Ohai, another former Tar Heel, the Chicago Red Stars' Christen Press and Western New York Flash's Lynn Williams.

Heath set a new NWSL record for the most assists in a single season (10) in 14 games played. Long's six goals give her 28 career goals, which ranks third all-time in the NWSL. Williams won the 2016 NWSL Golden Boot with 11 goals, edging Ohai thanks to her five assists. Despite missing matches due to the Olympics, Press led the league with the best goals-per-game average (0.57), finishing with eight goals.

2016 NWSL Award Finalists:
Rookie of the Year
Rachel Daly - Houston Dash
Raquel Rodriguez - Sky Blue FC
Emily Sonnett - Portland Thorns FC

Goalkeeper of the Year
Michelle Betos - Portland Thorns FC
Ashlyn Harris - Orlando Pride
Alyssa Naeher - Chicago Red Stars

Defender of the Year
Lauren Barnes - Seattle Reign FC
Arin Gilliland - Chicago Red Stars
Julie Johnston - Chicago Red Stars
Emily Menges - Portland Thorns FC
Becky Sauerbrunn - FC Kansas City

Coach of the Year
Jim Gabarra - Washington Spirit
Mark Parsons - Portland Thorns FC
Paul Riley - Western New York Flash