by Greg Seltzer for Soccer365

With the league's final prize of 2009 set to be handed out on Sunday, it's time we dish out our final prize by naming our Major League Soccer Team of the Season.

With the level of play steadily rising in America, it's little wonder that many of these spots were very tough calls. The number of honorable mentions listed below is not indicative of generosity, but of the fact that so many players deserve at least a place in their conversation about their position. To boot, I may actually have omitted a few names because of the crowd size.

Unlike MLS' Best XI (and that of quite a few other outlets), we will not be filling out our all-star squad in a 3-5-2 formation. How many games during this season featured a team in that set?

Not that many, really, so we are going to stick with a properly positioned 4-4-2. Some players worked multiple positions, but all of our winners did see some time at their respective slot.

And away we go to the awards dais...

G - Zach Thornton (Chivas USA)

It should be little surprise we went with the Goats' backstop, as most have, but this was still a very tight race with several worthy keepers. In the end, we decided on the team mentality impact. Yes, there were some fine netminders this season, but nobody led from the line and dictated his club's attitude on the field as much as Thornton did.

Honorable mentions: Will Hesmer, Kasey Keller, Pat Onstad, Matt Reis, Donovan Ricketts

RB - Brian Namoff (D.C. United)

This one came down to two, and the D.C. United veteran narrowly edged out Colorado's Kosuke Kimura. Namoff wins for providing a little more going forward and for doing some of his fine work from a revolving three-man backline. What? We didn't say it never happened.

D - Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (Seattle Sounders)

There are a lot of reasons the Sounders had such a successful first year in MLS. This is at least reason #2, if not arguably #1. Hurtado came, he saw, he cleared. Most newcomers to a league require some stability to thrive (see David Ferreira), but with Seattle's wingback shuffle, this guy was the stability.

D - Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo)

Houston's favorite handyman edges MLS prize winner Chad Marshall for the second spot for three basic reasons: Cameron played 11 more games, had more impact across the field and didn't have a sluggish start to the campaign. From day one, the second-year man proved he will provide about anything his team needs for a victory.

LB - Wilman Conde (Chicago Fire)

This particular race was not a squeaker, even with Conde missing 11 games and working much of his time from the middle. Yeah, perhaps I'm taking advantage of the flexibility inherent in our selection system... but I'm okay with it. There are few MLS defender that combine as complete a package as Conde does.

Honorable mentions: Jonathan Bornstein, Bobby Boswell, Eric Brunner, Omar Gonzalez, Kimura, Marshall, Bryan Namoff, Gino Padula, Carey Talley, Chris Wingert

DM - Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution)

Here, we have another easy choice. In fact, the Revs engine got my MVP vote. Like Cameron and Conde, Joseph filled more than one roles for his team, and he's the one of that three that did so by straying the farthest from his comfort zone. Actually... maybe that remark was too hasty considering how well MLS' best midfield stopper portrayed a target striker for several games.

RM - Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)

As usual, Captain Galaxy missed a fair amount of games while in USMNT orbit. Matters not, because he rarely missed a beat in leading L.A. back from the brink - even after giving up much of his break for a Bayern Munich loan. No player in the league combines this much skill with so much purpose.

LM - Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo)

Ah yes, the quiet one. I'm not sure anyone even noticed that Davis finished with a league joint-best 12 assists. He also hit two of his five goals as winners. More importantly, he paced an attack that lost longtime playmaker Dwayne De Rosario, keeping it going until and as Stuart Holden got comfy in the middle.

AM - Dwayne De Rosario (Toronto FC)

The way Toronto finished this season, there is no telling how far beyond 11 goals and six assists De Rosario could have gone this year. On Pablo Vitti and Chad Barrett misses alone, he'd have surely matched old teammate Davis' dozen helpers.

Honorable mentions: Osvaldo Alonso, Kyle Beckerman, David Ferreira, Stuart Holden, Jeff Larentowicz, Freddie Ljungberg, Paolo Nagamura, Marco Pappa, Steve Ralston, Dave van den Bergh

F - Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas)

Despite notching just one goal before July 4th, Cunningham found enough time to bag the Golden Boot on 17, with seven of them match winners. On top of that, he sparked his team to a near-miracle. In other words... duh.

F - Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders)

This spot was so much harder to pick, with each of the Colorado Rapids listed below in with a shot. A few weeks ago, it would have been Omar Cummings, fairly easily. After a late swoon that coincided with the Rapids missing the playoffs again, he had fallen behind teammate Conor Casey in my estimation.

Eventually, I went for the Seattle kid for often shouldering the offensive load on a successful expansion side. Montero's flair and production paced his team - and to an extent, the city's blooming love affair with the Sounders experience.

Honorable mentions: Casey, Cummings, Robbie Findley, Ryan Johnson, Guillermo Barros Schelotto

Soccer365 reporter Greg Seltzer blogs daily over at No Short Corners. Questions, comments, kudos or complaints? Email him at greg@noshortcorners.com.

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