NEW YORK (Wednesday, November 10, 1999) - On the eve of tomorrow night's Western Conference Final Game Three between the Dallas Burn and Los Angeles Galaxy at the Rose Bowl (10:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports West 2 and Southwest), Major League Soccer revealed the final three candidates for another trio of the league's year-end awards. Members of the Burn and Galaxy pepper the list of names in the running to capture the 1999 Pepsi Goalkeeper of the Year, All Sport Coach of the Year and MLS Rookie of the Year Awards.

Thursday, two days before three-time Eastern Conference champion D.C. United hosts the Columbus Crew at RFK Stadium on Saturday in Game Three of their East Final (4:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2), the finalists for the Honda Most Valuable Player and BIC Defender of the Year Awards will be announced. Winners for all 12 MLS awards will be announced November 15-21.

Major League Soccer's top netminder will be recognized for his outstanding play by the Pepsi Goalkeeper of the Year trophy. This award is given to the player judged by MLS coaching staffs and general managers to be the best all-around 'keeper during the regular season, based on technical skill, statistical ranking and overall leadership. Three new faces are in the running for the 1999 honor, including the Tampa Bay Mutiny's Scott Garlick, who led the league in saves (152) and shots faced (192) in his first season in Tampa Bay after two years with D.C. United. Garlick, who won six consecutive games for the Mutiny from late April to early June, is joined by the Los Angeles Galaxy's Kevin Hartman, the first player to record back-to-back 20-win seasons between the pipes and the first to go an entire year allowing fewer than one goal per game (0.91). Hartman also set a league record with 11 shutouts, tying him with the Dallas Burn's Matt Jordan, the third Pepsi candidate. Jordan, who played just 45 minutes in 1998, finished second in the league in saves (133) and first in catch/punches (124) to lead the Burn to 17 of the team's club-high 19 wins.

PEPSI GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
	Scott Garlick--Tampa Bay Mutiny Led league in saves (152), shots on goal faced (192)
	Kevin Hartman--Los Angeles Galaxy First GK to allow fewer than one goal per game (0.91); 11 shutouts
	Matt Jordan--Dallas Burn After playing just 45 minutes in '98, set league record with 11 shutouts

Major League Soccer honors the All Sport Coach of the Year, an annual award given to the coach judged by MLS coaching staffs, general managers and the media to have made the greatest contribution to his team during the regular season. Dallas Head Coach David Dir, the lone charter MLS coach still with his original team, led the Burn to a 19-13 record in 1999, the club's best showing in four seasons. Dir finished the year with 67 all-time wins, the most in league history and one ahead of D.C. United's Thomas Rongen, who was named the Coach of the Year in 1996 while with the Tampa Bay Mutiny. Rongen led United to a 23-9 mark in his first season as a replacement for Bruce Arena, despite being forced to utilize 30 different lineups in 32 games and not having his first-choice starting 11 available (due to injuries and national team duty) between April 3 and September 18 (a span of 29 games). Rounding out the list of candidates is the Los Angeles Galaxy's Sigi Schmid, who took a 2-3 Galaxy team that had won two shootout games and led them to a 17-9 finish, including a 13-3 run after the acquisition of Roy Myers that saw Los Angeles take control of the Western Conference. For the second consecutive season, Schmid's squad allowed the fewest goals in the league, setting a new standard by conceding just 29 goals in 32 games.

ALL SPORT COACH OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
	Dave Dir--Dallas Burn Led team to club-best 19-13 mark, second place in West
	Thomas Rongen--D.C. United Went 23-9 despite using 30 different lineups in 32 games
	Sigi Schmid--Los Angeles Galaxy After 2-3 start, won 13 of next 16 to capture top spot in West

The MLS Rookie of the Year award is earned by the player judged by MLS coaching staffs and general managers to be the best young performer who has no prior professional soccer playing experience and/or has completed his college or high school eligibility within the last year. New Zealand National Team member Simon Elliott joined the Galaxy nine games into the 1999 season, and demonstrated great versatility for the Western Conference regular-season champions. Elliott scored two goals and added five assists, playing midfielder and forward, and giving Schmid enhanced depth either off the bench or as a starter. Miami Fusion midfielder/defender Jay Heaps, the second overall pick in the 1999 MLS College Draft, scored a goal in his MLS debut while his former Duke University basketball teammates were enveloped in "March Madness," and went on to start 28 of the 29 games he played for the Fusion, scoring three goals, adding one assist and leading all rookies with 2,511 minutes played. Rounding out the list of candidates is San Jose's Richard Mulrooney, who appeared in all 32 of the Clash's 1999 contests (the only rookie to accomplish that feat) and scored one goal while adding three assists. Mulrooney started 25 games at midfield on a team that included four other rookies.

MLS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
	Simon Elliott--Los Angeles Galaxy Two goals, five assists in 23 games, including 18 starts
	Jay Heaps--Miami Fusion Three goals, one assist in 29 games (28 starts) and more than 2500 min.
	Richard Mulrooney--San Jose Clash One goal, three assists in 32 games (only rookie to play in every game)

Ten of the 12 total postseason awards (including the AT&T Best 11, the equivalent of an "All-League" team) honor individual players, while Major League Soccer's top head coach and referee will also be recognized. The Budweiser Scoring Title, won by Dallas' Jason Kreis, was decided during the regular season. Along with the 10 awards that recognize regular-season efforts, Preki was named the MasterCard Most Valuable Player of the 1999 MLS All-Star Game on July 17, while the MLS Cup '99 Most Valuable Player will be decided by a panel of media immediately following the November 21 championship game.