December 29 – CONCACAF has announced its 2014 annual awards winners with inspirational Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas and US goalscorer Abby Wambach winning the vote for the Male and Female Players of the Year.
This is the second time CONCACAF have run their awards which are voted for by coaches, the media and fans. Wambach was runner-up last year in the vote to Alex Morgan but an outstanding international season that was topped by four goals in the 2014 CONCACAF Championship final against Costa Rica secured her the title.
Navas was the outstanding goalkeeper at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, with his performances winning him a transfer to Spain’s Real Madrid.
2014 was a great year for Costa Rican football with the men’s team’s outstanding performance in the World Cup and retention of the UNCAF championship, as well as the women’s team’s progress to the final of the CONCACAF Championship.
This was reflected in the award voting with Costa Rican coach Jorge Luis Pinto winning Coach of the Year, and Costa Rican veteran Bryan Ruiz, runner up to Navas in the Player of the Year category, winning goal of the year for his strike against Italy at the World Cup, perhaps the goal that announced to the world that Costa Rica had arrived.
Male Player of the Year
Winner: Keylor Navas, Goalkeeper (Real Madrid/ESP & Costa Rica)
Second: Bryan Ruiz, Forward (Fulham FC/ENG & Costa Rica)
Third: Tim Howard, Goalkeeper (Everton/ENG & United States)
Female Player of the Year
Winner: Abby Wambach, Forward (Western New York Flash/USA & United States)
Second: Shirley Cruz, Midfielder (Paris Saint Germain/FRA & Costa Rica)
Third: Veronica Charlyn Corral (Merilappi United/FIN & Mexico)
Goalkeeper of the Year
Winner: Tim Howard (Everton/ENG & United States)
Second: Guillermo Ochoa (Malaga/ESP & Mexico)
Third: Keylor Navas (Real Madrid/ESP & Costa Rica)
Coach of the Year
Winner: Jorge Luis Pinto (Costa Rica)
Second: Luis Fernando Suarez (Honduras)
Third: Oscar Ramirez (LD Alajuelense/CRC)
Referee of the Year
Winner: Mark Geiger (USA)
Second: Marco Antonio Rodriguez (Mexico)
Third: Walter Quesada (Costa Rica)
Goal of the Year
Winner: Bryan Ruiz, Costa Rica v Italy, 44th minute (June 20, 2014)
Second: Esteban Ramirez, Herediano v Saprissa, 20th minute (November 2, 2014)
Third: Joel Campbell, Costa Rica v Uruguay, 54th minute (June 14, 2014)
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