Canada Soccer

Alphonso Davies and Jordyn Huitema have been named 2017 Canadian U-17 Players of the Year after outstanding campaigns that included call ups to Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team and Women’s National Team. Canada’s two young footballers won the honour from a vote by national team coaches as well as Canadian clubs and coaches.

Davies of Edmonton, Alberta plays for Vancouver Whitecaps FC while Huitema of Chilliwack, British Columbia plays for Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls REX. In 2017 with Canada, Davies was the Top Scorer and Best Young Player at the CONCACAF Gold Cup while Huitema made her international debut at 15 and became Canada’s second-youngest goalscorer just a month after her 16th birthday.

Davies scored three goals in six matches and won both the Golden Boot and Best Young Player awards at the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup. With Vancouver Whitecaps FC, he scored three goals and two assists in 33 matches across all competitions, including a goal in the quarter-finals of 2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League. He also became the youngest goalscorer in the history of the Canadian Championship with a goal against Montréal in May.

“It was a breakout year for Alphonso Davies as the CONCACAF Gold Cup gave him the stage to showcase the range of his talents,” said Octavio Zambrano, Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team Head Coach. “He is a force with which to be reckoned as he is strong, he is fast, and he doesn’t flinch in front of goal. He is a player with all the tools and he has a good head on his shoulders.”

Even the corner flags are not safe...@AlphonsoDavies #CANMNT #GoldCup2017 pic.twitter.com/hUhyYrR0vd

— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) July 12, 2017

Huitema scored two goals in seven international matches as she became the third youngest player in Women’s National Team program history. After helping Canada finish second at the 2017 Algarve Women’s Cup in March, she scored a brace against CONCACAF rivals Costa Rica in a 6:0 home win in June. She then scored with each the U-20 and U-17 teams in July, making her the first Canadian to score at three different international age groups in the same calendar year.

“To score two goals in front of over 20,000 fans after just turning 16 is something that every kid dreams to do,” said John Herdman, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team Head Coach. “She made her dreams come true in 2017. To score at every age group is a unique achievement for a unique player. She has an exciting future, but it is underpinned by an intense work ethic and that makes this young player special.”

Watch: Jordyn Huitema steps on the pitch for her first home game appearance for #CANWNT @JordynHuitema @sincy12 pic.twitter.com/KbJ8w9MAbq

— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) June 9, 2017

Davies, who also won the award in 2016, finished first in 2017 voting ahead of runners up Jordan Faria (Brampton, ON / Toronto FC Academy) and Julian Dunn-Johnson (Richmond Hill, ON / Toronto FC II). Huitema finished first in voting ahead of runners up Jayde Riviere (Markham, ON / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite) and Ariel Young (Ottawa, ON / Ottawa Fury FC Girls Elite). This year’s Canadian U-17 Players of the Year award was open to male footballers born 2000 or later and female players born 2001 or later.

The 2017 Canada Soccer Player Awards are announced from 8-14 December, with the Canadian Para Soccer Player of the Year (Jamie Ackinclose) and Canadian Futsal Player of the Year (Nazim Belguendouz) announced on 8 December, the Canadian U-17 Players of the Year announced on 11 December (Alphonso Davies and Jordyn Huitema), the Canadian U-20 Players of the Year announced on 12 December, and the Canadian Players of the Year announced on 13 and 14 December.

CANADIAN U-17 PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
2017 – Alphonso Davies & Jordyn Huitema
2016 – Alphonso Davies & Deanne Rose
2015 – Kadin Chung & Kennedy Faulknor
2014 – Ballou Tabla & Jessie Fleming
2013 – Marco Carducci & Sura Yekka
2012 – Marco Carducci & Ashley Lawrence
2011 – Bryce Alderson & Ashley Lawrence
2010 – Bryce Alderson & Diamond Simpson
2009 – Russell Teibert & Abigail Raymer
2008 – Russell Teibert & Monica Lam-Feist
2007 – Olivier Lacoste-Lebuis & Monica Lam-Feist

Jamie Ackinclose and Nazim Belguendouz have been named winners as part of the 2017 Canada Soccer Player Awards, with Ackinclose named the Canadian Para Soccer Player of the Year and Belguendouz named the Canadian Futsal Player of the Year. The two Canada Soccer national team players excelled in their respective sports in 2017.

Jamie Ackinclose won Canadian Para Soccer Player of the Year honours after another standout season which was highlighted at the IFCPF World Championships. He was versatile at different positions, notably scoring four goals and three assists and earning Player of the Match honours three times in seven international matches. Throughout the IFCPF World Championships, Ackinclose was the veteran leader on a young Canadian squad that finished 13th overall.

“Jamie was instrumental at both ends of the field and his experience and leadership on and off the field played a huge role at the IFCPF World Championships,” said Drew Ferguson, Head Coach of Canada Soccer’s National Para Soccer Team. “We have a solid young team, but when we needed a player to put his foot on the ball and slow things down or make that one great pass, Jamie was that player for the Canadian team.”

Nazim Belguendouz of FC Sparte in Montréal is the first Canadian Futsal Player of the Year. In 2016-17, he helped his club finish second in the Québec league (PLFQ) standings by a single point while leading his division with 12 goals, seven of which were scored in the 2017 calendar year. Already in the early part of 2017-18, he has found himself at the top of his division’s goalscoring race with eight goals in the first three games of the new season.

“Nazim has been the most consistent player over the past few years and he has been on the top of his game in 2017,” said Kyt Selaidopoulos, Head Coach of Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Futsal Team. “He stands out as a number of different players could have won this award and that speaks very well to the future of futsal in Canada.”

This marks the 25th edition of the Canada Soccer Player Awards. In the coming, the two Canadian U-17 Players of the Year will be announced on Monday 11 December, the Canadian U-20 Players of the Year will be announced on Tuesday 12 December, and the Canadian Players of the Year will be announced on Thursday and Friday 14-15 December.

On Thursday 7 December, Stephanie Labbé won the second edition of the Allstate Canadian National Team Good Hands Award.

SCHEDULE:
11 December - Canadian U-17 Players of the Year
12 December - Canadian U-20 Players of the Year
14 & 15 December - Canadian Players of the Year

Following the Canada Soccer Player Awards, the 2017 Canada Soccer Moment of the Year fan voting runs 18 December to January 3 across Canada Soccer's digital channels. Fans will have the opportunity to choose from a top-10 list of moments from the past 12 months. Throughout the holiday period, fans can follow as the top moments are featured on Canada Soccer’s digital channels: Twitter (@CanadaSoccerEN), Facebook (www.facebook.com/canadasoccer), and Instagram (@canadasoccer). From there, they can vote for their favourite moment on CanadaSoccer.com.

Fans who register with their vote will be eligible for #CanadaRED prize packs, to be distributed ahead of the announcement of the 2017 Canada Soccer Moment of the Year on 9 January 2018.