In plain English Sporting Kansas City designated player and beloved forward Omar Bravo has won the MLS Latino Player of the Year.

In the running also was Honduran international midfielder Rodger Espinoza was in the final balloting.

Being serious Bravo was possibly the best signing that Sporting could have made prior to the 2011 MLS season. His 27 appearances, many sporting the captain’s armband, equaled in nine goals and two assists. The impact that he gave the attack cannot be put into better perspective.
There were times in the year when he stepped up and made the big moment happen when the rest of the offense just couldn’t do it.

In the home game against Chivas USA at the last moment Bravo headed home the equalizing goal. Those moments were why Peter Vermes decided to sign Bravo from Chivas de Guadalajara.

In the Eastern Conference Final, with Bravo still nursing a groin injury, Sporting was down to Houston and needed an offensive spark. Vermes decided to go with DP bust Jeferson instead of Bravo. Bravo was eventually brought on but when it was too late. Most fans felt that the decision to keep Bravo off the field was what denied Sporting KC an equalizing goal.

In the Playoff Semifinals vs the Colorado Rapids Bravo had his groin injury but was kept away from the playing field. Bravo is quoted as wanting to desperately play to help the team and now is using the off-season to think and pine after foreseen wrongs.

Something tells me that this will become nasty unless Vermes and Bravo sit down and have a heart to heart talk about his place on the team next year.

If Sporting KC loses Omar Bravo it will be exceedingly difficult in finding a replacement that will be able to fit into the side that has been built.