Andre Shinyashiki

Andre Bava Shinyashiki is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids, who was named the winner of the 2019 MLS Rookie-of-the-Year Award. Shinyashiki was the 2018 recipient of men's soccer Senior CLASS Award, a national recognition awarded to the top men's collegiate senior in college soccer.

Career

Youth and college

Shinyashiki played early in his youth for the Brazilian youth club Pequeninos do Jockey. He then played high school soccer for the Montverde Academy in Florida. While at Montverde, he was named the Montverde Academy Soccer Tournament (MAST) MVP, earning All-Tournament Team honors and winning the MAST Golden Boot. Shinyashiki helped lead Montverde to an unprecedented 117-match unbeaten streak and national championships in 2013 and 2014.

Shinyashiki played in college for the University of Denver Pioneers. Entering the 2015 NCAA Division I men's soccer season, Shinyashiki was ranked the 79th best player in the nation of the high school class of 2015 by CollegeSoccerNews.com. TopDrawerSoccer.com had listed Shinyashiki on their All-American watch list. He finished his freshman season making 19 appearances, 16 of which were starts, and scored 5 goals. He finished the season being named the Summit League Newcomer of the Year.

During Shinyashiki's sophomore and junior years, he scored nine goals each season. During the 2016 season, he helped the Pioneers earn their first ever final-four (College Cup) appearance at the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament.

Shinyashiki's senior year began with him scoring 19 goals in 9 matches. He finished the season with 28 goals in 21 matches, setting the goals record for the 2018 NCAA Division I men's soccer season, and the most goals in a single NCAA college soccer season in 20 years, three behind Wojtek Krakowiak's 31 goals in 1998. Shinyashiki was listed as one of the runners-up for the Hermann Trophy and the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Player of the Year Award. His college career ended with him being awarded the Summit League Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Year and the Senior CLASS Award for men's soccer.

Professional

From 2017 to 2018, Shinyashiki played in the Premier Development League with the Colorado Rapids U-23 team.

On 11 January 2019, he was selected by Colorado Rapids with the fifth pick of the 2019 MLS SuperDraft. On 2 March 2019, against the Portland Timbers, he scored his first professional goal in his debut to tie up the match in the 94th minute on a snowy pitch in blizzard conditions, with an ambient air temperature of 18° F (-8° C).

After his successful debut season with the Rapids, Andre was selected as the 2019 MLS Rookie-of-the-Year. Shinyashiki had seven goals and three assists across 31 appearances (18 starts) in his rookie campaign. Shinyashiki established himself as an impact player for Colorado as the club compiled an unbeaten 6-0-3 record in regular season matches where he recorded either a goal or an assist.

Honors

Individual

• MLS Rookie of the Year: 2019
• Senior CLASS Award: 2018