Nominees set for 2016 U.S. Soccer Player of the Year awards

CHICAGO (Via U.S. Soccer) – U.S. Soccer has announced the nominees for its 2016 U.S. Soccer Player of the Year awards.

Winners for the Male and Young Male awards will be announced on Dec. 9 during FOX Sports special MLS Cup preview show at 10 p.m. ET on FS1, while the Female and Young Female award will be announced on Dec. 11 during ESPN FC’s weekly recap show Sunday evening on ESPN2. The Disabled Player of the Year will be announced on ussoccer.com on Dec. 12.

The men’s field features forwards Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey and Bobby Wood, midfielder Michael Bradley and defender Geoff Cameron, while the Young Male nominees are forwards Andrew Carleton and Jordan Morris, midfielders Josh Sargent and Christian Pulisic and defender Cameron Carter-Vickers.

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The MLS Cup preview show airs the night before FOX’s presentation of the 2016 MLS Cup, the league’s 21st annual championship game that will pit Eastern Conference champion Toronto FC against Western Conference champion Seattle Sounders FC. The hour-long show set at Toronto’s BMO Field will feature analysis from former National Team players as well as FOX Sports personalities in addition to an extensive preview of Saturday’s game, including exclusive interviews with players from both teams.

The Female award nominees include forwards Crystal Dunn and Alex Morgan, midfielders Tobin Heath and Carli Lloyd and defender Becky Sauerbrunn. The Young Female nominees are midfielders Emily Ogle and Andi Sullivan, defenders Kaleigh Riehl and Karina Rodriguez and forward Ashley Sanchez.

The Disabled Player of the Year nominees are Adam Ballou (Paralympic Soccer National Team), Nico Calabria (U.S. Amputee Soccer National Team), Emily Cressy (U.S. Deaf Women’s National Team), Matt Eby (U.S. Deaf Men’s National Team).

The current voting process was put in place beginning in 2014. Votes will be collected from National Team coaches and staff, National Team players who have earned a cap in 2016, members of the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors, U.S. Soccer’s Athlete Council, professional soccer league coaches, select college head coaches and select media members.

The U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year has been awarded since 1984, when midfielder Rick Davis won the inaugural prize and was followed shortly thereafter by the first Female Player of the Year award in 1985, when midfielder Sharon Remer (known then as Sharon McMurtry) earned the inaugural honor. The U.S. Soccer Young Male, Young Female Player of the Year awards have been presented every year since 1998 and the Disabled Player of the Year since 2012.