Best Performance: Player Winner

Best Goal: Academy Winner

Best all_access Video Winner

Best Assist Winner

Best Fan Photo Winner

Best Soccer Specialty Store Winner

Best Soccer Bar Winner

Best Soccer Blog Winner

Finalists Named for 2008 “Best of U.S. Soccer” and U.S. Athlete of the Year Awards

U.S. Soccer has announced the finalists for the 2008 “Best of U.S. Soccer” and U.S. Athlete of the Year awards.

The seventh annual “Best of” series, presented by Soccer America, the No. 1 soccer magazine in the United States, gives fans the opportunity to make their selections for the best in soccer in the United States.

In addition to voting for the “Best of U.S. Soccer” awards, fans will also have the chance to vote daily for the prestigious ussoccer.com Athlete of the Year awards.

Fans can vote once a day from now until Monday, Dec. 8.

So, don’t delay. Vote now!

Best Soccer Bar

This award goes to the best soccer-focused or soccer-friendly bar in the United States. A nominee for this award should be a place that provides the full gamut of world soccer and doesn't have an elitist bartender that thinks the Premier League is the only league that matters. You go here not only because the bar opens its beer-swilling doors at 7 a.m. on a Saturday to catch Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard or Carlos Bocanegra over in Europe, but also because your favorite place has the MLS package and turns the bar red, white and blue when the U.S. is playing anything from a friendly to a World Cup qualifying match.

Best Soccer Blog

You’ve been reading countless soccer blogs on the information superhighway, but which is the one you queue up first when you get into the office in the morning? Is it ussoccer.com’s very own MNT or WNT Blogs? Or maybe you hit up your favorite soccer journalists’ blog for the latest video or rumor? Whatever it is, we’re giving you the chance to tell us which blog is king.

Best Soccer Specialty Store

This award honors the best soccer specialty store to buy all things soccer, from the latest Nike cleats for your weekend league to that Carlos Bocanegra national team jersey you wear to cheer on the U.S. Men at the stadium, from the bar (see above!), or from your couch.

Best all_access Video

In this category you’re selecting the best behind-the-scenes all_access video segment that appeared on ussoccer.com in 2008. Whether it was a Studio 90 interview featuring your favorite WNT player at the Olympics, a sneak peak into the locker room for that historic win by the MNT in Guatemala, or a unique look at a part of the world you've never seen before, this is the video that sticks out in your mind from the past year. Ok, we know, there are countless candidates. Can you pick just one?