Major League Soccer (MLS) announced on Thursday that two (2) Austin FC players have been named finalists for year-end awards. Austin FC midfielder and Designated Player Sebastián Driussi is 1 of 5 finalists for Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player, and goalkeeper Brad Stuver is 1 of 3 finalists for MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year, the second-consecutive year in which he has been a finalist for the award.
Driussi ranked second in MLS with 22 goals scored in 2022, and third in the league in goal contributions with 29. He was voted to the MLS All-Star team, named MLS Player of the Month twice, and to the MLS Team of the Week 11 times this season. The team’s goals-per-match average more than doubled since the Argentine’s debut in August 2021, rising from 0.81 to 1.67.
In addition to strong performances on the pitch, Stuver has been a prime example of a community-engaged athlete throughout his time in Austin, and in 2022 became the first-ever MLS player to be named a nominee for the ESPN Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award at the ESPYs. Stuver is actively involved with Current Initiatives’ The Laundry Project, an organization which holds events to provide free laundry services and materials to low-income families. He has led eight such events in just over a year since arriving in Central Texas, including one to provide relief for families in Uvalde, and organized multiple supply drives to collect donations.
