Seven Vancouver Whitecaps FC players nominated for 2013 Canada Soccer player awards

The Canadian Soccer Association announced on Monday that seven Vancouver Whitecaps FC players have been nominated for the 2013 Canada Soccer player awards.

Midfielder Russell Teibert is up for BMO Canadian Player of the Year after leading Whitecaps FC with nine assists this past season and earning six caps with the Canadian senior men's national team. The Niagara Falls, Ontario native is a two-time Canadian U-17 player of the year.

Other 'Caps players nominated include Homegrown defender Sam Adekugbe and striker Caleb Clarke (Canadian U-20 player of the year), Residency trio Marco Bustos, Marco Carducci and Jordan Haynes (Canadian U-17 player of the year), and Girls Elite midfielder Rachel Jones (Canadian U-17 women's player of the year).

Bustos, Haynes, and Carducci, who is the reigning Canadian U-17 player of the year, recently represented Canada at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Dubai, while Jones was a member of the Canadian squad that helped the U-17 women qualify for next year's FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. Also of note, Bustos and Jones were the co-recipients of Whitecaps FC's Most Promising Player award this past season.

READ: B ustos and Jones claim Most Promising Player award

Meanwhile, former 'Caps women's players Erin McLeod, Sophie Schmidt, Desiree Scott and Christine Sinclair were nominated for the female version of the BMO Canada Player of the Year award.

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 BMO Canadian Players of the Year award. The award will celebrate Canada’s top-two soccer players in recognition of their 2013 achievements with both the national team and their respective club teams.

Voting for the 2013 BMO Canadian Players of the Year will be split evenly by Canadian media and Canadian coaches from across the country.

Along with the Canadian Players of the Year award, there are two additional awards that celebrate the top young prospects in Canadian soccer. Coaches from across the country will select four young stars from Canada’s World Cup squads – two Canadian U-20 Players of the Year and two Canadian U-17 Players of the Year.

The Canadian U-20 Players of the Year award is open to players eligible for the recent or upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup events. The male U-20 nominees are born 1993 or later while the female U-20 nominees are born 1994 or later.

The Canadian U-17 Players of the Year award is open to players eligible for the recent or upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup events. The male U-17 nominees are born 1996 or later while the female U-17 nominees are born 1997 or later.

Voting for the Canadian U-20 Players of the Year and Canadian U-17 Players of the Year awards will be split evenly by Canadian national staff coaches and all other Canadian coaches.

Voting will begin immediately and will conclude on December 7, 2013. Voters will be asked to select three players (first place, second place and third place) in each category. All six winners will be announced during the week of 9-13 December 2013.

The 2013 Canada Soccer player award nominees:

BMO Canadian Players of the Year
>>Voting by Canadian media and Canadian coaches
>>The award will celebrate Canada’s top-two soccer players in recognition of their 2013 achievements with both the national team and their respective club teams.

Canadian U-20 Players of the Year
>>Voting by Canadian coaches

Canadian U-17 Players of the Year
>>Voting by Canadian coaches

Seven Vancouver Whitecaps FC players nominated for 2013 Canada Soccer player awards

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