It's awards season throughout the world of sports, and in Canada there are now more eyes on soccer than at any given time in the sport's history.
With the women's team having won gold at the Tokyo 2020 and the men topping their World Cup qualification group to end the calendar year, both national teams have fans talking. On an individual level, Canadians are getting it done for club and country in ways that have never before been seen.
With that in mind, this year's Canada Soccer Players of the Year Awards are probably the most anticipated they've ever been. The governing body has enlisted media (including yours truly) and coaches from across the country to cast their votes for the players who have excelled the most in 2021. Voters have been asked to provide their first, second and third choices for the respective awards, after which the picks will be tabulated.
Canada Soccer will officially announce the men's and women's winners later this week, but I've taken the time to divulge my choices for this year's winners, as well as my second and third selections (listed as honourable mentions) below.
Canada Soccer men's Player of the Year
Who should win: Jonathan David
Jonathan David is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after young strikers in the entire world for one simple reason: he just scores goals.
The 21-year-old Lille hitman leads Ligue 1 with 11 goals so far this season and has three more in the current Champions League campaign. His 11 league goals for les Dogues from January to May helped lead the club to an unlikely Ligue 1 title, and on the international scene he's struck seven times for Canada in 2021.
Nicknamed the "Iceman" for his calm demeanour in front of goal and unassuming nature off the field, David's intelligent movement and scoring prowess combine to create an elite forward. It's likely that he's going to net Lille a massive amount of money in transfer fees in 2022, and Canada fans hope he'll be leading the line at Qatar 2022 for the country's second ever appearance in the World Cup.
Honourable mentions: Cyle Larin, Tajon Buchanan
As the second choice, Cyle Larin is having the kind of year that would probably warrant the top spot most of the time.
The 26-year-old Besiktas forward was seminal in helping the Black Eagles to the 2020-21 Turkish SuperLig title, with 19 goals throughout that campaign. On the national team his scoring numbers are absolutely ridiculous: 14 goals for the Maple Leaf in 2021 (the most-ever in a calendar year for a Canadian international) and leading the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying with four.
Meanwhile, Tajon Buchanan burst onto the scene this year, with his eight goals and five assists from the wing (sometimes wingback) for the New England Revolution earning him a place on the 2021 MLS Best XI. Add in three goals for Canada, speed to burn, a willingness to take on players with confidence and a transfer to Belgian side Club Brugge, and the future looks incredibly bright for the 22-year-old.
Now let's address the elephant in the room: Alphonso Davies' name is nowhere to be found. It seems crazy given that Davies is the face of men's soccer in Canada, and is having another standout year with Bayern Munich and Canada.
As one of the earliest passengers of the "Alphonso Davies Hype Train," I'll admit it was tough leaving his name off this list. That just speaks to the type of year his Canadian teammates have had.
Davies is still the best Canadian men's player, by far, but the achievements of David, Larin and Buchanan deserve a bit more shine than the team's superstar. For this year, at least.
Canada Soccer women's Player of the Year
Who should win: Ashley Lawrence
Arguably the best right back in the world, Ashley Lawrence has probably been the top Canadian women's player for a number of years now.
In 2021, Lawrence helped lead Paris Saint-Germain to a league title, and she was given the nod for the IFFHS Women's World Team. Of course, the 26-year-old was a key component of Canada's memorable gold medal-winning run through the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and she continues to be a force all along the right flank for both club and country.
Playing in the shadow of all-time international goal scoring leader Christine Sinclair has likely taken some of the well-deserved spotlight from her during her career so far, but Lawrence isn't one to crave attention. She let her play do the talking for her in 2021, and both club and country are stronger for it.
Honourable mentions: Jessie Fleming, Stephanie Labbé
My second choice, Jessie Fleming has seemed to be a star-in-the-making for nearly a decade now. Still just 23 years old, the central midfielder has been a mainstay for Canada since her mid-teens and is now making the same kind of impact at the club level for Chelsea.
At Tokyo 2020, Fleming became the go-to penalty kick taker for Canada, adding a stone-cold quality from the spot to her already considerable influence for the national side. For Chelsea, she's grown into one of the key members of one of the best club teams in the world, and she was just named WSL Player of the Month for November.
As for Labbé, the goalkeeper took on the moniker as Canada's "Minister of Defence" thanks to her heroics in between the sticks at Tokyo 2020, leading to a viral meeting with the country's actual Minister of National Defence following the team's return to the country. Labbé's massive influence for the Canadians was rewarded with a contract at PSG and a nod as a finalist for the upcoming The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper award.