Soccer News: NASL Player Of The Week After Scoring Title-Winning Goal
San Antonio Scorpions defender Adrian Cann was named North American Soccer League (NASL) Player of the Week after scoring the goal that won his team the 2014 NASL Fall Season Championship on Saturday night.
In addition to helping the Scorpions post a clean sheet against the New York Cosmos, the Canadian veteran found the net in the final seconds of the game to earn San Antonio a 1-0 win and more importantly the Fall Season crown.
“I am fortunate and grateful to be named NASL Player of the Week, but I couldn’t have done it without the help and support of a great bunch of teammates, coaching staff, medical staff, equipment staff, front office, fans, and family,” Cann said. “Having said that, my mind is focused on one thing; winning a NASL title. Holding the Soccer Bowl up at the end of the year would be the perfect ending.”
With the score tied at 0-0 deep into second-half stoppage time, the Scorpions took a corner kick that bounced around in the penalty area and eventually fell to Cann, who fired a left-footed shot into the net to send the Toyota Field faithful into a state of pandemonium.
A native of Thornhill, Ontario, the 34-year-old Cann helped the Scorpions keep their second consecutive clean sheet against a Cosmos team that will visit Toyota Field for a second straight week when The Championship, the league’s four-team postseason tournament, kicks off this Saturday. The goal was Cann’s first of the season.
“Saturday night firmly placed Adrian in the history of our franchise with his Fall Season Championship-winning goal. It was a moment that characterized his importance to this club with his commanding presence on the field, experience at the highest level, and the type of leadership in the locker room that’s instrumental to winning a championship,” said Scorpions head coach Alen Marcina. “I am thrilled that he will be receiving this well-deserved award in recognition of his performance in such a high-profile game.”
Cann, who made his international debut with the Canadian national team in 2008, signed with Scorpions in January and played in a total of 19 NASL regular season matches. Prior to joining the Scorpions, Cann played almost a decade in three different countries with the following clubs: Colorado Rapids, Esbjerg fB (Denmark), Montreal Impact, Toronto FC, and Vancouver Whitecaps.
Cann was a standout during his four-year college soccer career (2000-2003) at the University of Louisville, where he was a two-time Conference USA Co-Defensive Player of the Year and three-time NSCAA second team All-Great Lakes honoree.
