It's that time again -- time to determine Canada's top national-team performers over the last calendar year.
The Canadian Soccer Association has released its list of nominees in six categories -- men's and women's senior national, U-20 and U-17 teams -- with the winners being announced over the course of next week, starting on Monday (Dec. 9).
While the voting for the CanMNT and CanWNT top players is split evenly between media and coaches across the country, the youth winners are selected exclusively by coaches (the national-team staff and other coaches across the country). Still, stuff like this is always good for debate, so why don't we take a look at who's up for the prizes in 2013...
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Canada #canMNT
- Patrice Bernier | CAN / Impact Montréal | Brossard, QC
- Julian de Guzman | GRE / Xanthi | Scarborough, ON
- Marcus Haber | ENG / Notts County | Vancouver, BC
- Atiba Hutchinson | TUR / Beşiktaş JK | Brampton, ON
- Will Johnson | USA / Portland Timbers | Toronto, ON
- Nik Ledgerwood | SWE / Hammarby Fotboll | Lethbridge, AB
- Jonathan Osorio | CAN / Toronto FC | Brampton, ON
- Tosaint Ricketts | TUR / Bucaspor Kulübü | Edmonton, AB
- Russell Teibert | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Niagara Falls, ON
My picks: Since I actually do get a vote in this category (CSA, what are you thinking?!), this pick is more than just idle musing. Media members are asked to rank their top three choices in the MNT and WNT categories, and while the inclination of a bitter fan might be to choose "nobody" for the men's team, given their record, there were some notable individual performances.
I, like most voters, will likely be victims of the familiarity bias here, since we see the domestic players a heck of a lot more than the European-based ones. That notwithstanding, my #3 pick is Bernier for his critical work on an Impact team that found its way into the playoffs (albeit just barely) in its second year of MLS play, #2 is Hutchinson for continuing to be Canada's brightest shining light abroad, and #1 is Johnson for captaining the Timbers to a first-place finish in the Western Conference, based in one of the most soccer-mad environments on the continent.
Notes: Dwayne DeRosario isn't on the official nomination list, but given that write-in votes are allowed, I guarantee he'll get a few nods anyway. And yes, Whitecaps fans, I know Will Johnson trolled you guys after he scored a goal and that makes him an evil man forever.
Who'll win: Y'know, it might actually be Johnson. Or, hell, who am I kidding, it'll probably somehow be DeRo.
Canada #canWNT
- Kadeisha Buchanan | USA / West Virginia University | Mississauga, ON
- Karina LeBlanc | USA / Portland Thorns | Maple Ridge, BC
- Adriana Leon | USA / Chicago Red Stars | Maple, ON
- Diana Matheson | USA / Washington Spirit | Oakville, ON
- Erin McLeod | USA / Chicago Red Stars | Edmonton, AB & Calgary, AB
- Sophie Schmidt | USA / Sky Blue FC | Abbotsford, BC
- Desiree Scott | USA / FC Kansas City | Winnipeg, MB
- Lauren Sesselmann | USA / FC Kansas City | Stephenville, NL
- Christine Sinclair | USA / Portland Thorns FC | Burnaby, BC
My picks: This would seem to be a slam-dunk, right? Sinclair's won this award nine straight years, and I've been encouraging people to vote for her to win some made-up ESPN "best athlete" list thingie for the past few weeks. Plus, I mean, it's Sincy, for goodness sakes! Could anyone really be more deserving of this award than her in any given year?
Well, this year... yes. I think so.
My #3 pick is a toss-up between McLeod (who firmly established herself as Canada's top choice) and Schmidt (who made a big impact in her first NWSL season), my #2 pick will go to Sinclair (even though she's clearly slowed down a bit, she's still one of the best) and my perhaps-controversial #1 pick goes to Matheson, whose attacking prowess has exploded in the past few years after a decade in a mostly holding role. She scored as many goals as Sinclair in the NWSL regular season, and has been Canada's most dangerous player going forward on several occasions in 2013 (in lineups that also included Sinclair).
Who'll win: Well, Sinclair, of course.
Canada #canm20 (born 1993 or later /nés en 1993 ou après)
- Samuel Adekugbe | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Calgary, AB
- Keven Aleman | ESP / Real Valladolid | Brampton, ON
- Dylan Carreiro | ENG / Queens Park Rangers | Winnipeg, MB
- Caleb Clarke | GER / FC Augsburg II (on loan from CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC) | Richmond, BC
- Doneil Henry | CAN / Toronto FC | Brampton, ON
- Michael Petrasso | ENG / Queens Park Rangers | Woodbridge, ON
- Samuel Piette | GER / Fortuna Düsseldorf | Le Gardeur, QC
My pick: I'm kind of glad I'm not voting here, since this is a pretty impressive crop of players, and tough to pick from. Three of these guys signed pro deals in Europe (Petrasso, Carreiro, Aleman), one is on a successful loan spell there (Clarke), one is a regular for his European club (Piette), one firmly entrenched himself as an MLS starter (Henry) and one signed a pro deal at the age of 18 (Adekugbe). Oh yeah, and all seven of them have spent time with the senior men's national team at some point in 2013.
So, really, it's tough to go wrong with this group. Based pretty much on what he's done over the past two months, though, I'm going to go with Petrasso.
Who'll win: If familiarity bias plays a part, which you know it will, this probably goes to Henry (who also won the award last year).
Canada #canw20 (born 1994 or later / nées en 1994 ou après)
- Kadeisha Buchanan | USA / West Virginia University | Mississauga, ON
- Ashley Lawrence | USA / West Virginia University | Caledon East, ON
- Kinley McNicoll | USA / University of Wisconsin | Oakville, ON
- Nichelle Prince | USA / Ohio State University | Ajax, ON
- Rebecca Quinn | USA / Duke University | Toronto, ON
- Kailen Sheridan | USA / Clemson University | Whitby, ON
My pick: This one seems pretty straightforward: Buchanan has already established herself as a crucial piece of the puzzle for the senior national team, so it's tough to imagine this award going to anyone else. Even so, Lawrence has won the U-17 award for the past two years, and Prince could also be a key piece for the program going forward -- so, recognizing Buchanan's ascent shouldn't take anything away from some other good players here.
Who'll win: Hmm, lemme think... oh yeah, Buchanan.
Canada #canm17 (born 1996 or later / nés en 1996 ou après)
- Hanson Boakai | CAN / FC Edmonton | Edmonton, AB
- Marco Bustos | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency | Winnipeg, MB
- Marco Carducci | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency | Calgary, AB
- Alex Comsia | North Vancouver, BC
- Marco-Leonel Dominguez | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal | Montréal, QC
- Jordan Hamilton | CAN / Toronto FC Academy | Scarborough, ON
- Jordan Haynes | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency | Peterborough, ON
My pick: The trio of Bustos, Boakai and Hamilton impressed mightily at the CONCACAF U-17 Championship, and Hamilton went on to score twice at the U-17 World Cup. Carducci has also impressed coaching staff and followers of the team, both with his on-field performances and off-field maturity. So, much like the U-20 group, some very decent choices here. For me, though, the one player that brings qualities that are so rare to any Canadian team is Boakai -- who, let's remember, signed with FC Edmonton's first team as a 16-year-old.
Who'll win: I wanna say "Toronto media bias will give it to Hamilton", but since this vote is from coaches, I'm going to lean slightly towards Carducci. Hamilton winning wouldn't surprise me either.
Canada #canw17 (born 1995 or later / nées en 1995 ou après)
- Jessie Fleming | CAN / London NorWest SC | London, ON
- Rachel Jones | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite | North Vancouver, BC
- Sarah Kinzner | CAN / Calgary Foothills | Calgary, AB
- Marie-Mychèle Métivier | CAN / Armada Chaudière-Est | Lévis, QC
- Bianca St-Georges | CAN / Laser de Joliette | St-Charles-Borommée, QC
- Sura Yekka | CAN / Brams United SC | Mississauga, ON
My pick: Métivier bagged plenty of goals in World Cup qualifying, Fleming was Canada's top player at that tournament, and Jones definitely looks like the sort of attack-minded fullback who'll fit into John Herdman's grander scheme. But as per Buchanan, above, it's tough to argue against a teenager that's already made an impact with the senior national team -- in this case, it's Yekka.
Who'll win: Y'know, if coaches think the way I think they think, they may actually pick Fleming. But the more likely scenario is that they'll go with Yekka too.
So, what do you think? Presuming the comments section is actually working today (fingers crossed), let's hear it:
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