Choosing Canada’s best was never this fun

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/12/2021 (1709 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For more than a decade I’ve had the privilege of voting for Canada’s Soccer Players of the Year.

Needless to say, it hasn’t always been this fun.

Yes, my time in the business has happened to coincide with some very good women’s national teams, but it wasn’t until relatively recently that this country’s top female footballers were also accumulating accolades in some of the very best leagues in the world.

And then there have been the men.

Truth be told, it wasn’t that long ago that the male ballot was an exercise in disappointment. Simply selecting three names was a chore; ranking them seemed ridiculous (voters order their choices 1 thru 3). Well, those days are long gone.

The past calendar year has seen the men’s national team reach the last four of the Gold Cup and top the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. Major European titles have been won, and all signs point to up-and-coming players making the candidates’ pool even more competitive.

The voting process is now a dream — the Olympic Gold Medal won by Canada’s women in Tokyo the cherry atop this soccer snack.

To that end, I’d like to share my ballot with you — and not only to showcase the incredible talent this country is consistently putting out on the pitch.

The farce of last month’s Ballon d’Or, in my opinion, revealed the necessity of rather more transparent procedures. Who actually does the voting, and how did they fill in their ballots? Then there is the soon-to-be-renamed award for Canada’s top athlete. It’s almost like a puff of smoke goes up and, poof, there’s the winner.

Following, then, is my made-public ballot for Canada’s Soccer Players of the Year, complete with my thought process. The ballot, as it happens, is due today, and I submitted mine Thursday afternoon.

Men

1. Cyle Larin: My choice for Canada’s Male Soccer Player of the Year led Besiktas to a Turkish Super Lig and Cup double. The Instanbul outfit edged city rivals Galatasaray to the title on goal difference, and Larin’s quadruple in the fourth-last match of the season was what put them over the top. The 26-year-old’s 14 goals for Canada — including a brace against Mexico in Edmonton — also set a national team record.

2. Alphonso Davies: Last year’s winner won a third Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich and was named to the 2021 World Team by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS). His 15 assists set a single-season Canadian record, and his spectacular goal against Panama in World Cup qualifying instantly became one of the men’s team’s most outstanding moments.

3. Jonathan David: His 12 goals helped Lille to an unlikely Ligue 1 title last spring, and his 11 so far this season happens to lead the French top flight, putting him above the likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi. A rumoured transfer target of Arsenal and Inter Milan, the 21-year-old also tallied seven times for Canada in 2021 and scored the only goal in a crucial win over Costa Rica.

Women

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Paul Samyn | Editor's Note

Wednesdays

A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom.

Sign up for Paul Samyn | Editor's Note

Sign Up

I consent to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies.

I consent to CASL agreement.

1. Ashley Lawrence: When it comes to the best left-back in women’s football, my choice for Canada’s Female Soccer Player of the Year is in a category of one — or, two, if we’re going to be generous and include Spain’s Maria Pilar León. In 2021 Lawrence played each of Canada’s Olympic matches en route to the Gold Medal, and she was a key contributor in Paris Saint-Germain’s first title-winning season. The 26-year-old was also named to the team of the season by both Division 1 Féminine and the Women’s Champions League.

2. Stephanie Labbé: The Canadian women’s national team doesn’t win the Gold Medal without Labbé. It’s as simple as that. A finalist for the FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year, she was heroic in Tokyo — particularly when facing a penalty-taker from 12 yards. In August the 35-year-old joined fellow Canadians Ashley Lawrence and Jordyn Huitema at PSG.

3. Jessie Fleming: It came too late for consideration this year, but Chelsea’s Fleming just happens to be the reigning Women’s Super League Player of the Month. At the Olympics her penalty put Canada on course for a first win over the United States in 21 years, and she also scored the equalizer in the Gold Medal match against Sweden.

jerradpeters@gmail.com

Twitter @JerradPeters