The nominations for 2010 Canadian players of the year have been announced, with some surefire contenders and a few surprises.
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Men's national team
Nana Attakora (Toronto FC)
Adrian Cann (Toronto FC)
Dwayne DeRosario (Toronto FC)
Atiba Hutchinson (PSV Eindhoven)
Simeon Jackson (Norwich City FC)
Will Johnson (Real Salt Lake)
Josh Simpson (Vestel Maniaspor)
Adam Straith (Energie Cottbus)
Now, you might expect me to instantly pick Simeon Jackson to repeat. True, I do love the guy, and it's great to see a Canadian potting a few goals in the Championship. In another year, he may be right up there. But as he battles to cement his place in the Canaries' starting XI, there are two other performers who can't be ignored.
Simpson has been an absolute revelation in Turkey, scoring goals at his leisure (while picking up his first tally for Canada in September). And again, in another year, he might be the runaway favourite.
But this award must go to Atiba Hutchinson. He was player of the year in the Danish Superliga for his time at FC Copenhagen, before moving to the Netherlands and becoming a regular contributor for the top team in the Eredivisie. He's also been a loyal and solid soldier for the national team, as always.
DeRo, unquestionably, will receive a lot of votes for his contributions at Toronto FC. Christ, he might even win. But his impact on the national team has been negligible, and while I love the league, MLS is not the Eredivisie. Not even close. This has to be Hutch's award.
Women's national team
Josee Belanger (Amiral de Quebec)
Jonelle Filigno (Rutgers University)
Kaylyn Kyle (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
Diana Matheson (Lillestrom SK Kvinner)
Marie-Eve Nault (Ottawa Fury)
Sophie Schmidt (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
Christine Sinclair (unattached, formerly FC Gold Pride)
Melissa Tancredi (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
It's probably not possible to pick Sinclair without seeming like you're just going with the "obvious" choice. But really, how can you vote against her? A nominee for World Player of the Year, she potted eight goals in the World Cup qualifying tournament, and bagged a WPS Championship (before her team folded, that is). Not to mention, she provided a moment that I hope will live on in Canadian soccer lore: scoring a decisive penalty and then shushing a rowdy Mexican crowd.
But a few other performances deserve kudos as well. Matheson has experienced a renaissance under head coach Carolina Morace. The team's new emphasis on possession has allowed Matheson (with her vision and pugnacity) to shine -- not to mention, she scored one of the biggest goals of her career (she doesn't have many) against New Zealand in Canada's 1-0 victory in the Cyprus Cup championship game.
Jonelle Filigno has been in the system for a while, and though she's not the squad's top player in 2010, it's certainly been a breakthrough year. Her speed and tenacity earned her a reputation as a true "super sub", and at just 20 years of age, this isn't the last time we'll see her name in discussion for Canadian player of the year. Speaking of youngsters, 22-year-old Kaylyn Kyle also emerged as a key element in the midfield of Morace's revamped team.
Canadian U-20 Player of the Year
On the male side, we've got Ethan Gage and Russell Teibert (Whitecaps system), Ashtone Morgan and Nicholas Lindsay (Toronto FC Academy) and two youngsters playing in Germany: Janeil Hoilett (Junior Junior?) and Julian Latendresse-Levesque. From what I've seen of Lindsay, I really like his potential... but specifically to annoy a certain 'Caps fan, I'm going to pick Gage.
On the female side, you've got Filigno along with a pair of American university students (Vanessa Legault-Cordisco and Rachel Melhado) and a pair of Quebec products (Frederique Paradis and Amelia Pietrangelo). With no disrespect meant to other contenders, I think Filigno's the runaway choice here.
More deets over at the CSA's website. The winners in these four categories (as well as U-17 Players of the Year) will be announced during the week of December 13-17, based on voting by media and coaches.
I've had my say. What do you folks think?