Morgan, Pietrangelo named Canadian U-20 Players of the Year

The Canadian Soccer Association announced today that Ashtone Morgan and Amélia Pietrangelo have been named Canadian U-20 Players of the Year for the 2011 soccer season. The two stars were honoured in a vote shared by national-team coaches (50%) and Canadian coaches who have taken the Canadian Soccer Association’s national course at the B and A levels (50%).

Morgan is a fullback and midfielder that plays for his home club Toronto FC in Major League Soccer. He is also a member of Canada’s national team, having made his debut at the international “A” level in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in October (he came in as a substitute and recorded an assist in a 7:0 victory over St. Lucia). A month after his debut, he was called into a second national camp and made his first start in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, this time playing all 90 minutes of a 4:0 victory over St. Kitts and Nevis at BMO Field in Toronto.

With his club, Morgan made 14 appearances in Major League Soccer in 2011. He also played in all eight of Toronto FC’s CONCACAF Champions League matches, helping the team qualify for the quarter-final phase in2012.

As for Pietrangelo, the Laval, QC forward is in her second season with the Canadian national team. After making her debut at the international “A” level in December 2010, she was called into Canada’s camps in April and May and even made an appearance as a substitute in a 2:0 victory over Netherlands on 28 May. All this occurred before her 18^th birthday. Then in October at the Pan American Games, she came off the bench to score her first international goal against Costa Rica and then made two more appearances as a starter en route to Canada’s gold medal at Guadalajara 2011.

Born in 1993, Pietrangelo will be eligible in 2012 to represent Canada at the CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship and the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Uzbekistan 2012. Away from the national team, Pietragenlo will continue her studies at Rutgers University where in 2011 she was a freshman with the school’s women’s soccer team.

Yesterday, the Canadian Soccer Association announced that Bryce Alderson and Ashley Lawrence were both named the Canadian U-20 Players of the Year. On Wednesday and Thursday of this week, the Canadian Soccer Association will announce the 2011 Canadian Players of the Year.

CANADIAN U-20 PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

2011 – Ashtone Morgan & Amélia Pietrangelo
2010 – Ethan Gage & Jonelle Filigno
2009 – Nana Attakora & Chelsea Stewart
2008 – Nana Attakora & Jonelle Filigno
2007 – Asmir Begovic & Sophie Schmidt
2006 – David Edgar & Jodi-Ann Robinson
2005 – Ryan Gyaki & Kara Lang

2011 FINAL LIST
Male Nominees (born 1991 or later) from the Men’s U-20 team / Joueurs en nomination (nés en 1991 ou après) de l’équipe masculine U20
1. Ashtone Morgan (33.3)
2. Russell Teibert (24.55)
3. Matt Stinson (18.5)
4. Doneil Henry (13.4)
5. Jonathan Lao (6.95)
6. Oscar Cordon (3.25)

Female Nominees (born 1992 or later) from the Women’s U-20 team / Joueuses en nomination (nées en 1992 ou après) de l’équipe féminine U20
1. Amélia Pietrangelo (32.8)
2. Jaclyn Sawicki (22.6)
3. Rachelle Beanlands (12.2)
3. Jenna Richardson (12.2)
5. Adriana Leon (11.1)
6. Christine Exeter (8.9)