Homegrown defender Nick Lima had a stellar debut season for the San Jose Earthquakes, appearing in 22 games (20 starts) and tallying two goals and an assist. He was a consistent frontrunner for the MLS Rookie of the Year Award throughout the season and even drew mentions for the All-Star Game against Real Madrid and U.S. National Team January camp before a hamstring injury cut his year short.
After missing much of the final third of the season to injury, Lima’s hopes for league-wide awards fell by the wayside, but he still drew the attention of national media.
Goal.com selected Lima as one of five honorable mentions for Rookie of the Year, saying:
“Another homegrown signing who had a standout college career for Cal, Lima chipped in two goals and an assist in 22 appearances for the San Jose Earthquakes, playing primarily as a fullback.”
To see Goal.com’s full list, click here.
