Benoît Cheyrou wins 2016 George Gross Memorial Trophy

Toronto FC’s Benoît Cheyrou won the 2016 George Gross Memorial Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the 2016 Amway Canadian Championship.

Cheyrou wore the captain’s armband for all four Toronto FC matches in the Championship, helping the club lift their first title in five years. Cheyrou was instrumental throughout the competition in Toronto’s midfield. In the semifinals against Impact Montréal FC, he played a key role in the build up of two goals in the first leg and then was Star of the Match in the second match.

The George Gross Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the Amway Canadian Championship’s most valuable player. Previous winners are Matt Jordan in 2008, Dwayne De Rosario in 2009 and 2010, Joao Plata in 2011, Ryan Johnson in 2012, Justin Mapp in 2013 and 2014, and Russell Teibert in 2015.

Mr. George Gross had a prestigious career as a sports writer in Toronto, writing for the Toronto Telegram, the Soccer and Sport News (as publisher) and Toronto Sun (as founding sports editor). He served as one of the founders of the Eastern Professional Soccer League and also general manager of Toronto City Soccer Club in the early 1960s. In recognition of his years of service to sport, he was inducted to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2005 and to The Soccer Hall of Fame in 2006. He passed away on 21 March 2008 at age 85.