Miguel Ibarra named NASL Most Valuable Player

It's been a fantastic season for Minnesota United's Miguel Ibarra. After a bit of Jekyll and Hyde showing in 2013 that saw some anonymous displays mixed with some wonderful performances, the player turned in consistently excellent displays throughout the 2014 season. Those showings combined with the form of forward Christian Ramirez pushed the Loons to the top of the combined table, earning the top seed in the NASL playoffs.

Ibarra had the honor of becoming the first modern NASL player called up to the United States men's national team, and impressed Jurgen Klinsmann enough to earn a second call this November. Today, the league announced that Ibarra had been selected to receive the Golden Ball, given to the league's outstanding player for the 2014 season.

After his excellent campaign, it wouldn't be surprising to see plenty of interest in Ibarra, both from MLS and from abroad. Whether or not the Loons are able to keep hold of him will be one of the more interesting story lines of the offseason.