Keller takes home Save of the Year

Kasey Keller's stoppage time save against the Wizards was the league's best of 2010.

Watch Kasey Keller's Save

RENTON, WASH. - Kasey Keller had many highlight reel moments in the 2010 season.

On Wednesday, Major League Soccer announced that his stoppage time save against the Kansas City Wizards on April 17 was the 2010 NAPA Auto Parts MLS Save of the Year.

To truly appreciate the dramatic save, though, you must know what preceded it.

The Sounders were 1-1-1 entering the match and one week earlier allowed a goal in stoppage time that turned a 2-1 road win over defending MLS Cup Champion Real Salt Lake into a frustrating 2-2 draw.

As the match with the Wizards flew into stoppage time, Mike Fucito scored his first career MLS goal off a throw-in from Brad Evans to give Seattle the 1-0 lead.  On the ensuing kickoff, the Wizards raced up the right side and Chance Myers unleashed a low-angle shot that forced Keller into a diving stop to preserve the 1-0 victory.

“That would have been a hammer blow if we had conceded there,” Keller said after the match.  “I’m just happy I was able to come up for the team – when they ran as hard as they did for the whole game, to tie it up like that would have been difficult.”

In all Keller won Save of the Week five times and his 11 shutouts ranked second in MLS.