Charlotte FC shotstopper Kristijan Kahlina has been crowned the best goalkeeper in the league in 2024.
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ToggleAfter an outstanding season with the Eastern Conference playoff side, Charlotte FC's Kristijan Kahlina has been named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. The 32-year-old was the only member of CLT's roster to play every minute of the regular season, and as a result, accumulated a league-high save percentage of 75.63 – the fourth-highest in MLS history.
LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris placed second, while Columbus Crew's U.S. international Patrick Schulte came in third in voting.
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Kahlina was tied for first in the league with 12 total shutouts during the regular season, and was tied for third in total saves made with 121. With the Croatian in net, Charlotte finished top-five in the Eastern Conference for the first time in club history, and in the postseason, won game two in their Best-of-3 series against Orlando City due to the 32-year-old's heroics in their penalty shootout victory when he made two saves.
His victory came in a landslide win after claiming 53.2 percent of the media vote, 40.63 percent of the club vote and 10.81 percent of the player vote which handed him 34.88 percent of all votes. Lloris followed with just 10.69 percent of total votes, and Schulte with 9.66.
Kahlina made one appearance for the Croatia U-19 international team in 2011, with that being his only cameo on the international stage as a footballer. At that point in his career, he was a member of Dinamo Zagreb; one of Croatia's top senior men's teams.
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The 32-year-old and his squad are now in offseason mode after being eliminated from 2024 postseason contention in Round 1 of the Playoffs by Orlando City. He'll enjoy some time away from the pitch – and his award – before returning for preseason come the new year.