Tata Martino named MLS Coach of the Year

The 55-year-old Argentine mentor directed United to the best road record in the league at 10-5 with two drawn but finished second in the overall table to New York Red Bulls, Atlanta's foe in the play-off semi-finals later this month.

With a blend of star players and rising youth talent, Martino has taken a club from its birth to the verge of a championship match, producing the first ever back-to-back 70-goal seasons by any MLS club.

United boast Josef Martinez, a 25-year-old Venezuelan striker who scored an MLS single-season record of 31 goals, and a trio of teenagers -- Ezequiel Barco, George Bello and Andrew Carleton -- who combined to log more than 2,000 minutes, 23 starts, and 36 appearances.

Martino guided Argentina's world number one side to a runners-up spot at the 2015 Copa America after overseeing Paraguay's best-ever World Cup showing in 2010 and also earning South American Coach of the Year honors in 2007 with Paraguay.

In the 2013-14 season, his Barcelona side lost out on the La Liga title to Atletico Madrid on the final day of the campaign, setting the stage for his departure before taking over Argentina from 2014-2016 until he was appointed United boss.

Martino received 32.72 percent of the vote from players, club technical staff and a media panel to 22.34 percent for runner-up Bob Bradley of first-year expansion side Los Angeles FC.