SOCCER CANADA - NEWS

Hutchinson named male selection for the 2015 BMO Canadian Players of the Year award

Canada Soccer announced that Atiba Hutchinson is the male selection for the 2015 BMO Canadian Players of the Year award. The Canadian midfielder from Brampton, ON was honoured from a vote shared by Canadian media (50%) and Canadian coaches (50%).

Hutchinson shares the 2015 BMO Canadian Players of the Year award with Kadeisha Buchanan, the female selection who was announced one day earlier.

"Atiba continues to excel as one of Canada's great footballers in the world's biggest sport, as witnessed in our memorable November home win at BC Place in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Qualifiers," said Victor Montagliani, Canada Soccer President. "As a four-time winner of this award, he ranks amongst Canada's best athletes. We congratulate him, his family, his teammates, and all the coaches that have helped him shine as a footballer."

“We’re thrilled for Atiba Hutchinson, this year’s winner of the BMO Canadians Player of the Year award, for his leadership both on and off the soccer field,” said Connie Stefankiewicz, Chief Marketing Officer, BMO Financial Group. “Atiba exemplifies the spirit of soccer and sport that we foster and celebrate at BMO.”

At the international level, Hutchinson played in four 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Qualifiers, first helping Canada eliminate Belize in CONCACAF Round 3, then helping Canada win four points in the first two matches of CONCACAF Round 4. At home, he scored a goal in a 3:0 win over Belize on 4 September, then earned man-of-the-match honours in an important 1:0 win over Honduras on 13 November.

At the club level, Hutchinson helped Besiktas finished third in the 2014-15 Turkish Süper Lig standings and qualify for UEFA Europa League. In the second half of calendar year, Hutchinson has helped keep Besiktas at the top of the 2015-16 Süper Lig standings since early October. In Europa League action, the club missed escaping the group phase by just a single point.

"We are very proud of Atiba Hutchinson," said Benito Floro, Canada Soccer's Men's National Team Head Coach. "He is the player that coaches and teammates want to have around. Full congratulations to him and his family."

This marks the fourth time Hutchinson has been named a winner of the BMO Canadian Players of the Year award, having previously won the award in 2010, 2012 and 2014. He is one of 14 men's footballers to win the award since 1993, although now only the second to win the award four times (joining Dwayne De Rosario who won the award in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2011).

Runners up for this year's award included Cyle Larin (second), Milan Borjan (third), Julian de Guzman (fourth), and Adam Straith (fifth). In all, 15 different men's footballers received votes in 2015.

NASL Ticker: Fury sign trio; Minnesota United to play Timbers, Fire, Whitecaps; and more

New Ottawa Fury head coach Paul Dalglish has been handed quite the task in rebuilding the team that was only two goals away from winning the NASL championship last year, after three top players had their transfer requests granted this week.

On Friday, though, the Fury announced the additions of three new signings: Dennis Chin, Lance Rozeboom and Fernando Timbo.

Chin is a 28-year-old Jamaican winger most famous for his time at Orlando City SC while the club was a part of USL PRO. He scored 29 goals for Orlando in four seasons, leading the league in scoring in 2012.

Rozeboom is a 26-year-old American utility player that has logged nearly 6,000 minutes in USL. The former Rochester Rhinos defender starred as captain of the Austin Aztex in 2015.

Timbo, the youngest at just 23 years old, also played a large role for the Aztex defense in 2015. After joining from Cortiba FC in Brazil, the towering defender can slot in at either centerback or left back.

All three players spent time with the Austin Aztex, where Dalglish managed in 2012-2013.

Here are some more news and notes from around NASL:

MINNESOTA UNITED TO PLAY IN SIMPLE INVITATIONAL

MLS-elect side Minnesota United will be playing the likes of the Chicago Fire, Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers during the latter’s preseason tournament in 2016.

The Timbers will host the Simple Invitational for the fifth year in a row at Providence Park in February, prior to the next MLS season.

United will be the first American non-MLS side to compete in the round-robin tournament when they take the field next February.

“Taking part in a tournament with this type of tradition is very exciting for the club,” said Minnesota United sporting director Manny Lagos in a release. “It’s a tremendous opportunity not only for our team to grow on the field, but its very exciting for our fans and the entire state to get a glimpse of what is coming to Minnesota in terms of the competition and the environment that is created at a great venue like Providence Park.”

WEST BROMWICH ALBION ACADEMY PLAYER JOINS ARMADA

After a bottom-of-the-table finish for the Jacksonville Armada in their inaugural NASL season, the northern Florida club is in the process of adding weapons to its arsenal.

On Friday, the Armada announced the signing of Danny Barrow, a former winger from the West Bromwich Albion academy.

The 20-year-old Barrow joined the Armada as well as Sporting Kansas City in the spring for short trials.

Barrow has played for Wales at the Under-16 and U-17 levels before signing his first professional contract with West Brom in 2014.

ROWDIES RE-SIGN DEFENDER SWEAT

After a week of major announcements with the arrivals of Kalif Alhassan and Tom Heinemann, the Tampa Bay Rowdies have also worked hard to keep their prized assets from 2015 in central Florida.

After re-signing Freddy Adu early on in the week, the Rowdies announced defender Ben Sweat had signed a two-year deal with the team on Friday.

The University of South Florida graduate played left back for the Rowdies for the majority of the season, after joining from the Columbus Crew after the 2014 MLS season.

“I’m delighted that Ben has committed to the Rowdies and I’m looking for him to build on his performances from last season,” said Rowdies head coach Stuart Campbell. “He’s tall, he’s quick, he attacks and defends, and is a great piece for our team to have.”

Canada falls 2-1 to hosts Brazil in third group match in Natal

Canada’s Women’s National Team fought the hard fight against Brazil, but fell 2-1 to the home side in front of a passionate Brazilian crowd in the third and final match of the group stage at the Torneio Internacional de Natal.

Brazil got on the score sheet first with a goal from Andressa Alves off a free kick just outside the Canadian box with a curling left-footed blast over the wall and into the top corner. The second for Brazil came late in the first half when striker Marta was able to pull the Canadian defense out of position and find Débinha alone in the sweet spot. Canada responded with a great combination play as Captain Christine Sinclair played the ball off a throw in, and found Josée Belanger in front of the opposition net.

After the match, Head Coach John Herdman continued to praise the young players he had brought in for this tournament, and look to the future with the squad he is developing ahead of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifiers taking place in Texas in February.

“I am really happy with parts of the performance,” he said. “We went into this game, bringing in players we wanted to look at this level, including Faulknor who just played against some of the best strikers in the world and did well. I really enjoyed watching Nichelle Prince come in off the bench again - she really looked like a threat. Janine Beckie is starting to grow in confidence, and that connection with Sinclair is looking better and better. If we can get more control in the centre midfield we'll be in good shape.”

Building a team that will bring Canada through the qualifiers and medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics next summer requires Canada’s coaching staff to evaluate the effectiveness of tactics and pairings, and Herdman did not shy away from pointing out where work had to be done.

“Our team showed real resilience in the second half, but we missed that little bit of quality in the middle to attacking third,” he said. “I think our front five gave them some problems and our back four were quite resolute. There was just something in the middle that we were missing. When there was space in behind they seemed to find it and we didn't.”

With a blend of youth and veterans on the team assembled in Brazil, Herdman has plenty to work with, including players with exceptional range like tonight’s goal scorer Josée Belanger, who he played at both forward and fullback during the match.

“The beauty with Josée is she scores as a forward and when we want that attacking threat, she goes in at fullback,” he said. “She gives a little more, going forward with our attacking ability, and I think that’s what this team is becoming - more flexible.”

Coming into the match, Herdman knew the Brazilian side would be tight. They have been together as a team since January and have played five international matches over the period. Aware this was the best Brazilian team Canada will face, he was pleased with how his young side faired against the top South American squad.

“Tonight we had Matheson on the bench, Scott on the bench, and no Sophie Schmidt, but we had players we could bring into that match that could really change the game,” he said. “This is what we are building - a little more depth in this team - and now I can look at the roster and pick arguably my best team for the final.”

The focus is now on Sunday’s match, when Canada will get another chance to top Brazil in the Final at Arena das Dunas.

"We knew it was going to be a tough game, physically but also mentally,” said Josée Belanger. “It was a good test for us. We had a few chances, obviously we would have liked to win, but we know now what to work on for the final. It was a good start and we will be ready for the next game.”

READ MATCH REPORT : Canada 1:2 Brazil