On Wednesday, CONCACAF released the 2016 CONCACAF Female Best XI. As no surprise to anyone, over half of the Best Xi (six), came from the United States Women’s national team. This is the second time that CONCACAF has released a Female Best XI.
Three repeat winners from 2015 Female Best XI
Of the six USWNT players named to the list, three of them are now two-time honorees. Becky Sauerbrunn, Carli Lloyd, and Alex Morgan were all named to the inaugural list last season. Ashlyn Harris, Ali Krieger, and Tobin Heath are the newest additions to the Best XI in all of CONCACAF.
Canada represented by three players
Kadeisha Buchanan, Ashley Lawrence, and Christine Sinclair were three of the players named to the Best XI that hails from Canada. No real surprise that Sinclair made the list as she has always been one of the best players in CONCACAF and the rest of the world.
Costa Rica rounds out the final two spots
Costa Rica put two players on the list this year compared to the four they had last year. Shirley Cruz and Gloriana Villalobos were named to the list with Cruz being a repeat recipient of the honor.
Goalkeeper
Ashlyn Harris | United States; Orlando Pride (USA)
Defenders
Ali Krieger | United States; Washington Spirit (USA)
Kadeisha Buchanan | Canada; West Virginia University (USA)
Becky Sauerbrunn | United States; FC Kansas City (USA)
Ashley Lawrence | Canada; West Virginia University (USA)
Midfielders
Gloriana Villalobos | Costa Rica; Deportivo Saprissa (CRC)
Carli Lloyd | United States; Houston Dash (USA)
Shirley Cruz | Costa Rica; Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Tobin Heath | United States; Portland Thorns FC (USA)
Forwards
Alex Morgan | United States; Orlando Pride (USA)
Christine Sinclair | Canada; Portland Thorns (USA)
The CONCACAF Awards are designed to honor the year’s outstanding performers and achievements in confederation-sanctioned competitions involving national teams at all levels and age categories, including FIFA World Cup matches and qualifying for both genders. Performances also eligible for recognition included those achieved in professional club football leagues within the CONCACAF Member Associations, as well as the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.
The votes of three important stake-holding segments within the Confederation were counted in compiling the results. Member Associations’ national team coaches and captains (women’s and men’s), accredited media and fans each accounted for one-third of the final vote.