Spirit Players Highlight 2016 CONCACAF Award Nominees
Four Washington Spirit players have been announced as nominees for 2016 CONCACAF awards following a stellar year for club and country. The Washington Spirit advanced to the NWSL Championship for the first time in franchise history during the 2016 campaign.
Soccer News: Washington Spirit’s Crystal Dunn, Stephanie Labbé, Diana Matheson, and Shelina Zadorsky have all been nominated for 2016 CONCACAF Awards.
The national team coaches and captains from across the Confederation will account for one third of the final vote, and accredited members of CONCACAF’s media will contribute another third. Fans are invited to vote online for the final one-third segment of the vote.
Fans can vote online here. Voting runs through 11:59 ET on Sunday, January 8, 2017.
Dunn is nominated for Female Player of the Year and Best XI – Forwards. The 24-year-old was one of just two USWNT members to play in all 25 matches during the 2016 calendar year. She netted 14 goals and recorded eight assists for the national team. On February 15th, she scored five goals against Puerto Rico, becoming the seventh USWNT player in history to do so. For the Spirit, Dunn scored four goals in 2016, including both goals during the NWSL Championship, and also notched a career best five assists.
Labbé is nominated in the Best XI – Goalkeeper category. The goalkeeper won a bronze medal with the Canadian team at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. She played in five of the country’s six Olympic matches, including the semifinal and bronze medal games. She conceded just four goals in the tournament. In the eight games that Labbé started for the Spirit, she recorded five clean sheets, a club record for a single season.
Matheson is nominated in the Best XI – Midfielders category. The CanWNT veteran made her third Olympic appearance in the 2016 Rio Olympics as she won her second consecutive bronze medal. Matheson recorded four goals and was an integral part of the Spirit’s best finish in franchise history.
Zadorsky is nominated in the Best XI – Defenders category. The young Canadian center back made her Olympic debut in the 2016 Rio Olympics. After being shown a red card early in the first game of the tournament, the Ontario native helped her team win an Olympic bronze medal. She played in 13 games for the Spirit and was voted Spirit Newcomer of the Year. Zadorsky provided the assist for the Spirit’s opening goal in its first ever NWSL semifinal victory.
Photo Credit: Washington Spirit
