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France
Women's U-20
Le Canada se situe à la 11ème place du plus récent classement mondial féminin FIFA/Coca-Cola. Le Canada est resté à 1944 points, le même total qu’il avait lors du dernier classement il y a trois mois. L’Angleterre, cependant, fait de nouveau partie des 10 pays en tête du classement, gagnant 11 points et devançant le Canada de six points pour décrocher la 10ème place.
Ce sont les États-Unis et l’Allemagne qui occupent toujours les deux premières places du classement. Les États-Unis viennent de remporter leur troisième Tournoi Olympique de Football Féminin en quatre participations. Les Américaines ont remporté la médaille d’or après avoir battu le Canada en quarts de finale, le Japon en demi-finale, et le Brésil en finale.
Rhian Wilkinson won a Maurice for Collective Sports Team Player of the Year at the 36th Gala Sports-Québec. The award (« Athlète en sport collectif ») was presented to her on Wednesday night at the Sheraton Centre in Laval, QC.
Wilkinson of Baie D’Urfé, QC represented Canada at the 2008 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. She played her youth football in Baie D’Urfé in the Lac St-Louis region and made her national-team debut at age 20 in April 2003. Five years later, she has already accumulated 67 appearances with the national team. She has taken part in two FIFA Women’s World Cups (2003 and 2007) and won medals at two Pan American Games (silver in 2003 and bronze in 2007).
Canada ranks ninth within CONCACAF in the most recent FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings, the last monthly ranking of the 2008 season. USA is once again the confederation leader while Mexico, Honduras and Costa Rica trail to make up the CONCACAF top-four.
The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings looks at each country’s international results from the last four years. The ranking takes into account the result, the importance of the match, the strength of the opponent, the regional strength, the time period, and the number of matches per year.
Soccer fans across the country are asked to vote for their favourite Canadian players in the 2008 CanadaSoccer.com Fans’ Choices poll. Voting begins today and runs through 20 January 2008. Fans are asked to vote for one male player and one female player.
Fans can select any Canadian player. The list of senior nominees is the same as the list for the 2008 adidas Canadian Players of the Year award. Unlike the player of the year vote (based on performance, voted by coaches and media), the CanadaSoccer.com Fans’ Choices is based on popularity. Each fan can make one male selection and one female selection.
The Canadian Soccer Association announced today the list of nominees for its 2008 player awards. Canadian media and coaches will be asked to select two players – one male and one female – for the Canadian Soccer Association’s top prize, the adidas Canadian Players of the Year award. The award will celebrate Canada’s top-two soccer players in recognition of their 2008 achievements with both the national team and their respective club teams.
In 2008, Canada’s women’s national team made its first appearance at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. It reached the quarter-final stage before losing to the United States in extra time. Along the way, it won the Cyprus Cup and finished second at the Peace Queen Cup. In 24 games (an Association high), Canada posted a record of 10 wins, seven draws and seven losses. Canada’s title partner is Winners while its presenting partner is Teck.
Ali Gerba was named professional soccer player of the year at the annual awards gala hosted by the Fédération de soccer du Québec. Gerba, who finished the season with MK Dons in England, was named the 2008 award winner ahead of finalists Patrice Bernier and Nevio Pizzolito.
Gerba was one of a number of award winners on the night. Olivier Lacoste-Lebuis (male) and Rhian Wilkinson (female) were named senior players of excellence while Francesco Augustin (male) and Geneviève Richard (female) were named youth players of excellence.
Eighteen Canadian youth players have been named recipients of the Impact de Montréal’s 2008 athletic excellence bursary program (the Fondation de l’athlète d’excellence du Québec). The program now promises $90,000 over the next three years, $27,000 of which will be split by the 18 players recognised at this Saturday’s Fédération de soccer du Quebec annual general meeting.
“We are excited with this partnership renewal, which will allow the expansion of the Impact de Montréal bursary program for the next three years,” said Claude Chagnon, president of the Fondation de l’athlète d’excellence du Québec. “This not only represents significant financial support for the young recipients, but it also serves as a major source of motivation, encouraging athletes to pursue their dreams and strive for excellence.”
Neil Ellett, John Limniatis, Joan McEachern and Mike Stojanovic head the list of 2009 inductees to The Soccer Hall of Fame. The four players will be inducted next 6 June along with builders Bob Sawtell (referee), Derek Wisdom (administrator) and Colin Jose (historian). Also to be honoured is Pioneer Award winner, the late Ted Slade, and the Team of Distinction Award winner, the 1986 Canadian FIFA World Cup™ team.
Limniatis represented Canada in three FIFA World Cup™ Qualifiers campaigns and three CONCACAF Gold Cup competitions. He made 44 appearances for the national team between 1987 and 1997. He played professional soccer in Canada, the United States and Greece and was an original member of the Impact de Montréal. McEachern represented Canada at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Sweden 1995, Canada’s first-ever appearance in the women’s world championship. She made 32 appearances for the national team between 1987 and 1995 and was a two-time Jubilee Trophy winner with the Edmonton Angels in club football.
The Newfoundland Labrador Soccer Association has announced its 2008 award winners. The awards were announced at the annual general meeting, which featured Canadian Soccer Association president Dr. Dominic Maestracci in attendance. The two big award winners were 2008 Senior Players of the Year Mike Howlette and Nichole Adams.
Other award winners were Junior Players of the Year Sean Edwards and Michelle Ward, Coach of the Year Scott Betts, Executive of the Year Shane Howlett, and Team of the Year EPR Kirby / The Dock.
