Sinclair is female selection for 2012 BMO Canadian Players of the Year award

The Canadian Soccer Association announced that Christine Sinclair is the female selection for the 2012 BMO Canadian Players of the Year award. Sinclair of Burnaby, BC was honoured in a vote shared by Canadian media (50%) and Canadian coaches (50%).

Sinclair is one of two winners of the 2012 BMO Canadian Players of the Year award. While Sinclair is announced a winner on Tuesday 11 December, her co-winner (a male selection) will be announced on Wednesday 12 December.

“Her instrumental role on the international playing field has brought an overwhelming sense of national pride to Canadian soccer fans, so we are proud to present Christine Sinclair with the 2012 BMO Canadian Players of the Year Award,” said Justine Fedak, Senior Vice-President, Branding, Advertising & Sponsorships, BMO Financial Group. “Christine Sinclair has shown that she is a leader at the national level, ranking as one of the highest scorers in women’s international soccer history. As the Bank of Soccer in Canada, we are honoured to bestow this award on someone who exemplifies the quality of player this award was created to recognize.”

2012 BMO Canadian Players of the Year: Christine Sinclair

The highlight of Sinclair’s 2012 season was the bronze medal victory at the London 2012 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. It marked the highest finish for a Canadian team at one of the two biggest global women’s “A” international football tournaments. It also marked the first time that Canada won an Olympic medal in any summer team sport since 1936.

In 2012, Canada’s women’s team tied a national record with 14 wins, doing so with a 14-1-7 record in 22 matches. Along with the Olympic bronze medal, Canada finished second at the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifier in January (in Vancouver), second at the Cyprus Women’s Cup in March, and second at the Match world Women’s Cup in July.

Sinclair set a national record with 23 goals in 22 matches in 2012, seven more than her previous record in 2007. With those 23 goals plus six assists, she was directly involved in nearly 66% of Canada’s 44 goals. She earned Player of the Match honours five times, including the night she scored a memorable hat trick night at Old Trafford in Manchester at the London 2012 Olympics. She won Canada Soccer Player of the Month honours in May and August.

In 2012, she was the tournament’s top scorer at both the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament (nine goals) and Women’s Olympic Football Tournament (six goals).

Sinclair is now a 10-time winner of the BMO Canadian Players of the Year award. In 13 seasons with the national team, she has led Canada in scoring 12 times. She ranks third all-time amongst women’s footballers with 143 international “A” goals.

Along with Sinclair, other 2012 Canada Soccer player award winners are Brendon McAdam for Canadian Para Soccer Player of the Year (announced 7 December), Marco Carducci and Ashley Lawrence for Canadian U-17 Players of the Year (announced 9 December), and Doneil Henry and Sabrina D’Angelo for Canadian U-20 Players of the Year (announced 10 December).

CANADIAN PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
2012 – TBA and Christine Sinclair
2011 – Dwayne De Rosario and Christine Sinclair
2010 – Atiba Hutchinson and Christine Sinclair
2009 – Simeon Jackson and Christine Sinclair
2008 – Julian de Guzman and Christine Sinclair
2007 – Dwayne De Rosario and Christine Sinclair
2006 – Dwayne De Rosario and Christine Sinclair
2005 – Dwayne De Rosario and Christine Sinclair
2004 – Paul Stalteri and Christine Sinclair
2003 – Pat Onstad and Charmaine Hooper
2002 – Jason deVos and Charmaine Hooper
2001 – Paul Stalteri and Andrea Neil
2000 – Craig Forrest and Christine Sinclair
1999 – Jim Brennan and Geri Donnelly
1998 – Tomasz Radzinski and Silvana Burtini
1997 – Mark Watson and Janine Helland
1996 – Paul Peschisolido and Geraldine Donnelly
1995 – Alex Bunbury and Charmaine Hooper
1994 – Craig Forrest and Charmaine Hooper
1993 – Alex Bunbury

FINAL RANK
1. Christine Sinclair
2. Diana Matheson
3. Desiree Scott
4. Melissa Tancredi
5. Sophie Schmidt
6. Erin McLeod
7. Rhian Wilkinson
8. Carmelina Moscato