A large number of MLS, US and Canadian players, coaches and referees have been honored as finalists for CONCACAF's year-end awards.
This shortlist of nominees has been determined through voting of technical directors from each of CONCACAF’s 41 member associations and the CONCACAF Technical Study Group, which analyzes tactics and rates performances in all official CONCACAF tournaments. The winners will be determined by the votes of national team coaches and captains, fans and media.
The Vancouver Whitecaps' Costa Rican standout Christian Bolaños joins US national team stars Clint Dempsey and Christian Pulisic among the finalists for CONCACAF Male Player of the Year.
Bolaños, Dempsey and Pulisic are also in the running for CONCACAF's Male Best XI, as are Germany-based US internationals John Brooks and Bobby Wood, FC Dallas' Honduran defender Maynor Figueroa, New York City FC's Costa Rican fullback Ronald Matarrita, Canadian national team veteran Atiba Hutchinson, the LA Galaxy's Mexican superstar Giovani dos Santos, the Seattle Sounders' newest Designated Player Nicolas Lodeiro, New York Red Bulls hitman Bradley Wright-Phillips and Toronto FC's Jozy Altidore.
USMNTers Brad Guzan and Tim Howard are up for CONCACAF Male Goalkeeper of the Year honors, as is Canadian 'keeper Milan Borjan. Six of their US and Canadian female counterparts – five of whom play in the National Women's Soccer League – are up for the Female Goalkeeper of the Year award.
Meanwhile, Carli Lloyd headlines a long list of US women's national team heavyweights up for CONCACAF Female Player of the Year, along with Canadians Christine Sinclair and Janine Beckie. That trio is also among 13 USWNT internationals and 12 CanWNTers nominated for the CONCACAF Female Best XI.
Respected coaches Bruce Arena, who recently left the LA Galaxy to return to the USMNT job, and FC Dallas boss Oscar Pareja are up for CONCACAF Male Coach of the Year for their 2016 efforts. Conversely, three US-based female coaches are nominated for Coach of the Year honors as well: US women's national team honcho Jill Ellis, Laura Harvey of the NWSL's Seattle Reign and US U-20 women's coach Michelle French.
US referee Mark Geiger and Canadian assistant referee Joe Fletcher are in the running for CONCACAF Male Referee of the Year, while CONCACAF's Female Referee of the Year nominees include Canadians Carol Anne Chenard and Marie Soleil Beaudoin, along with the United States' Ekaterina Koroleva.
CONCACAF also has a Goal of the Year Award, open to the best strikes netted in CONCACAF competitions like CONCACAF Champions League, World Cup qualifying and Copa America Centenario. The goal Dallas' Carlos Lizarazo scored in CCL vs. CSD Suchitepéquez is nominated, as are international tallies by Sinclair (CanWNT vs. Costa Rica), Dempsey (USMNT vs. Ecuador) and Kelley O'Hara (USWNT vs. Puerto Rico).
CONCACAF's award winners will be determined by voting among member associations’ national team coaches and captains, media and fans. Each of those three segments will account for one-third of the final vote.
Check out the full lists of award nominees and cast your vote.
