Chung, Faulknor named 2015 Canadian U-17 Players of the Year

Kadin Chung and Kennedy Faulknor have been named 2015 Canadian U-17 Players of the Year. Canada’s two footballers won the honour from a vote shared by national team coaches (50%) as well as Canadian clubs and coaches (50%).

Kadin Chung is a member of Canada’s national youth program as well as Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency. He represented Canada at the 2015 CONCACAF Men’s Under-17 Championship in Honduras, playing every minute of Canada’s six competitive matches. Of note in the opener against Haiti, he made a goal line clearance and later scored a goal in a 3:1 win. Before the competition, the Canadian left back earned man-of-the-match honours in a friendly match against Guatemala. 

“I would like to congratulate Kadin on this great honour,” said Canada Soccer’s Men’s U-17 Coach Sean Fleming. “He had a tremendous cycle and was very consistent in all our national-team projects. He had an excellent performance at the CONCACAF Men’s Under-17 Championship and we look forward to watching him in the future with Canada at the highest level.”

Faulknor is a member of Canada’s national youth program as well as Unionville-Milliken SC. She played in three youth international matches for Canada in 2015, then worked her way up to a call-up to Canada’s Women’s National Team before year end. On 9 December 2015, she became the youngest centre back to make her full debut with Canada at age 16 in a 3:0 win over Mexico, starting on the left side next to 20-year old superstar Kadeisha Buchanan. 

“She is very comfortable on the ball and she has adapted over the year – she was a left back at the U-15 level and a wide forward before that,” said Canada Soccer’s Women’s U-17 Coach Bev Priestman. “She has really earned her trade as a centre back: she is really comfortable on the ball, physical, and you could even say she has some Kadeisha Buchanan-type traits and we are seeing that in the Women’s National Team camp.”

Chung of Port Coquitlam, BC finished first in voting ahead of runners up Gabriel Boakye of Richmond Hill, ON (Toronto FC II)  and Tristan Borges of Toronto, ON (Toronto FC II). Faulknor finished first in voting ahead of runners up Sarah Stratigakis of Woodbridge, ON (Unionville-Milliken SC)  and Deanne Rose of Alliston, ON (Scarborough GS United). 

The 2015 Canada Soccer Player Awards are announced from 11-18 December, with the Canadian Para Soccer Player of the Year announced on 11 December, the Canadian U-17 Players of the Year announced on 13 December, the Canadian U-20 Players of the Year announced on 14 December, and the BMO Canadian Players of the Year announced on 17 and 18 December.

CANADIAN U-17 PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
2015 – Kadin Chung & Kennedy Faulknor
2014 – Jean-Yves Ballou Tabla & Jessie Fleming
2013 – Marco Carducci & Sura Yekka
2012 – Marco Carducci & Ashley Lawrence
2011 – Bryce Alderson & Ashley Lawrence
2010 – Bryce Alderson & Diamond Simpson
2009 – Russell Teibert & Abigail Raymer
2008 – Russell Teibert & Monica Lam-Feist
2007 – Olivier Lacoste-Lebuis & Monica Lam-Feist