A few days ago CONCACAF announced the shortlist for their fifth annual CONCACAF Awards. The voting is open to fans and to the media. The female categories are listed below.
Female Player of the Year
Female Goalkeeper of the Year
Women’s Football Coach of the Year
Female Best XI-Defenders
Female Best XI-Midfielders
Female Best XI-Forwards
Female Player of the Year
There is 10 female players up for this award, including 8 Americans and 2 Canadians.
Alex Morgan: It’s no surprise to see that Alex Morgan is up for the award. After coming back from Lyon she scored 9 goals including the game-winning goal against FC Kansas City.
Samantha Kerr: After a record-breaking 17 goals during the 2017 NWSL season, it would be a shock to not see Sam Kerr on the list. She was the first player to score 4 goals in a game, where Sky Blue was playing the Seattle Reign.
Tobin Heath: After not seeing action for most of the NWSL season, Tobin Heath managed to get some minutes in for club and country. She played a huge role in the championship, in which Portland Thorns defeated the North Carolina Courage.
Christine Sinclair: The Canadian had a stellar season with the Thorns, as she captained the team to the Championship. She scored 8 goals during the season and started all 24 matches during the regular season.
Jessie Fleming: The youngster out of UCLA was kind of a shock for me. But none the less Fleming is an up and coming player. After making her debut for Canada at the age of 15. With a bright future (captain of Canada, calling it now) this is her first nomination.
Female Goalkeeper of the Year
Adrianna Franch: No big surprise to see the NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year up for this award. She had 11 shutouts (an NWSL season record) and played and started all 26 matches. And she only conceded 21 goals in 26 matches.
Alyssa Naeher: What a good start of the end of the year for Naeher. Becoming the USWNT number one keeper. Starting in 13 games for the National team and 23 for the Chicago Red Stars.
Ashlyn Harris: When Ashlyn Harris came back from injury, she helped her club team, the Orlando Pride into a playoff spot and into a semifinal. With 14 starts and appearances for club, she only conceded 19 goals.
Jane Campbell: The 15th overall NWSL draft out of Stanford University, Campbell has appeared in 16 games for the Dash this past season. She has 2 international caps to her name, as she made her debut against Russia back in April of this year.
Kailen Sheridan: Sheridan was the 23rd overall draft pick, selected by Sky Blue. She appeared in 22 matches for Sky Blue during the season. Sheridan is a federation player for Canada, having 4 caps to her name.
Nicole Barnhart: Leading the league in saves with 97, Barnhart was key to FCKC this past season. Appearing in 24 matches, and starting 24 she totaled 2160 minutes. During the 24 matches, she conceded 31.
Sabrina D’Angelo: Up and coming goalkeeper, D’Angelo played and started in all 8 matches she appeared in for the North Carolina Courage. She plays for Canada and has 5 caps so far to her name.
Stephanie Labbe: Labbe is one of the best goalkeepers for Canada, and has 48 caps. She plays for the Washington Spirit in the NWSL. Appearing in 17 matches and let in 30 goals. She’s played in 47 matches for Canada since making her debut in 2008.
Women’s Football Coach of the Year
Jill Ellis: Ellis is up for the award again, after she lead the USWNT to 12-3-1 in 2017. Two of the losses came during the She Believes Cup, and the other against Australia in the Tournament of Nations.
John Herdman: Herdman lead Canada 6-3-2 in 2017, the latest loss against the United States in which the USA won 3-1 in California.
Laura Harvey: Just appointed the first head coach of the Real Salt Lake NWSL team, Harvey has many levels of coaching. She coached the Seattle Reign from 2013-2017 and coached the US U-23’s.
Mark Parsons: Parson lead the Portland Thorns to their second championship, the first 4 season. The team went 14-5-5 in the season, scoring 37 goals and allowing 20 in 24 games.
Paul Riley: Winner of the NWSL Coach of the Year award, Riley lead his team to the finals, where they lost to the Thorns, 1-0. In his second year with the team(1st as NCC Head Coach), they went 16-1-7 in the 2017 season.
Tom Sermanni: Appointed as Orlando’s head coach in 2015, Sermanni has experience with some of his players. He coached the USWNT in 2013-14. Pride went 11-7-6, and scored a league-leading 45 goals.
Female Best XI-Defenders
Abby Dahlkemper: An up and coming star for the USWNT, Dahlkemper was apart of the NCC defense that only let in 22 goals, the least out of all 10 teams. She played every minute and helped the NCC get 12 clean sheets. Dahlkemper won Defender of the Year in 2017.
Ali Krieger: After being traded to the Orlando Pride from the Washington Spirit on November 2nd of 2016. She went on to play in 24 regular season match and then the semifinal match. She totaled 2 assist and 2250 minutes.
Allysha Chapman: The Canadian was traded from the Dash to the Breakers during the offseason But since then she has appeared in 19 matches. She appeared in almost 50 matches for her home country, the recent coming against Norway.
Becky Sauerbrunn: The veteran is the only player to make it on the Best XI every season. She is one of the two players that started and played in every single match in the calendar year for the US. During her season with FCKC, she scored a goal in the match against the Spirit.
Casey Short: Short has almost 20 international caps under her belt since 2016. Starting in 22 out of 23 matches for the Red Stars, and one goal. She played in 13 matches for the Red,White and Blue this year.
Emily Menges: If there's one player in the NWSL that deserves a cap, it’s Emily Menges. She was on fire this NWSL season. Along with Emily Sonnett, Kat Reynolds and Klingenberg they were an absolute brick wall. She played in all 25 matches, 2243 minutes.
Kelley O’Hara: Kelley O’Hara is such a versatile player. She played mostly in the defense for the National Team, and for Sky Blue she played as a defender/forward. She scored 4 goals and tallied 3 assist in 1561 minutes of play for her club in 2017.
Meghan Klingenberg: After not seeing minutes since the first four matches in 2017, Klingenberg put out an amazing season with the Thorns. She lead the team in assist with seven in 25 games.
Female Best XI-Midfielders
Allie Long: Long started in 17 matches, and played in 23 for the Thorns. She appeared in 12 matches for the United States, scoring three goals including a brace against Russia in April.
Carli Lloyd: 2017 seemed to be an off year for Lloyd as she scored only two goals in 13 matches for her nation.She totaled two goals in eight games for the Dash.
Desiree Scott: With two season in the NWSL under her belt, Scott is one of the best midfielders ever to play in the league. She played in 21 matches(20 starts and 1803 minutes) She’s played in 130 appearances for Canada, including two World Cups and two Olympics.
Julie Ertz: When Ertz was moved to the midfield for club and country, she started to score more goals. Ertz has six goals, which is second next to Morgan’s seven. She played in 23 games, 2022 minutes and 4 goals.
Lindsey Horan: Horan was named the NWSL Championship MVP. Horan scored the game-winning goal in the 50th minute. She appeared in 26 games and started all of them. During those 26 games she scored five goals and assisted three goals
Morgan Brian: Though injury plagued her year, Brian shined while she was playing. As such a fast thinking midfielder, it’s not a surprise to see her up for the award. She played with the Dash from when she was drafted until she was traded on August 30th to the Chicago Red Stars.
Samantha Mewis: Mewis was the other of the two players to start every single match for the USWNT this year. She also played in every NCC match, playing in 26 and starting in 25. Mewis scored 6 goals and recorded 2277 minutes.
Female Best XI Forwards
Christen Press: Press seems to be in the best form we’ve seen her in. She scored 11 goals this season, including five game-winning goals. She appeared in 24 matches starting in 23 of them,
Alex Morgan: Morgan came back to the Pride midseason from France. While there with Lyon, she scored five goals in eight games. For the Pride, she appeared in 14 matches and started 13 of them. She scored nine goals and credited with four assists.
Christine Sinclair: Sinclair scored her 169th international goal today during a match against Norway.Leaving only 15 goals to go before she reaches Abby Wambach’s record. She captained both Thorns and Canada in 2017.
Janine Beckie: Since getting drafted by the Dash in 2016, Beckie continued to do great things during the season. She played in all 24 regular season matches, starting in 23 and recording two goals and one assist in 1,829 minutes for the Dash,
Marta: The five-time FIFA player of the year was an absolute firecracker since coming to the Orlando Pride. She made her debut against the Washington Spirit in May. Marta recorded 13 goals and six assist in 2,028 minutes for the Pride.
Megan Rapinoe: Rapinoe made a comeback from her 2016 season, and came back in better form. She scored 12 goals for her club team, the Seattle Reign including four PK and a hat trick against Sky Blue.
Sam Kerr: Not only is she amazing at International level, Kerr is a natural scorer. She broke the league record set by Kim Little (Who scored 14 goals in the 2014 season). Kerr scored 17 goals including a four-goal game. She went on to win League MVP and the Golden Boot.
Sydney Leroux: Leroux made her comeback to Woso two years since she played in a match. She scored her first goal in the 2-0 win, which FCKC topped the Boston Breakers. Leroux went on to be the leading goal scorer of FCKC with six goals in 26 games.
Goal of the Year
Camila: Camila’s goal that is up for Goal of the year, is the 20+ yard strike. The Pride were facing the Dash. Camila received a pass from Marta, turned and waited for the perfect moment and struck the ball into the back of the net.
Sam Kerr: The Kerr goal that is up for the award is the goal against the Pride on June 28th. It was created off of a corner, which Kerr was set perfectly and slotted it into the back of the net with a bicycle kick. The goal went on to win goal of the week.
Fans and media can vote from now to Thursday, December 7th at 11:59 E.T for male and female player of the year. And for the other categories Wednesday, December 13th at 11:59 E.T.