VANCOUVER, BC - Add 2017 CONCACAF Best XI to Kendall Waston's long list of accolades this year.
The Costa Rican centre back was among the honourees in the 2017 CONCACAF Awards announced on Tuesday, as he was one of three Major League Soccer players to be selected to the Male Best XI.
Here are your 2017 Best XI! What do you think of this powerhouse lineup? #CONCACAFAwardspic.twitter.com/VTBNsA7WS8
— CONCACAF (@CONCACAF) December 19, 2017
Joining Waston are goalkeeper Keylor Navas (Real Madrid FC), defenders Cristian Gamboa (Celtic FC), Hector Moreno (AS Roma), Roman Torres (Seattle Sounders FC), midfielders Bryan Ruiz (Sporting CP), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Hector Herrera (FC Porto), Wilde-Donald Guerrier (Qarabağ FK), and forwards Alberth Elis (Houston Dynamo), and Hirving Lozano (PSV Eindhoven).
Earlier this year, Waston also received the WFC Player of the Year, and finished third in voting for MLS Defender of the Year.
The 6-foot-5 defender emerged as a leader in his first season as captain for Whitecaps FC, while also helping steer the Costa Rican men's national team to a 2018 FIFA World Cup berth.
Other awards handed out were Goalkeeper of the Year to Keylor Navas (CRC) and Adrianna Franch (USA), Coaches of the Year to Greg Vanney (USA) and Eva Espejo (MEX), Referees of the Year to Cesar Ramos (MEX) and Lucila Venegas (MEX), and Goal of the to Amaury Escoto (MEX), in the 85th minute of the match versus CD Guadalajara.
Also, the CONCACAF Outstanding Performance Award was presented to the team or individual that best exemplified excellence through performance, and in so doing helped to further elevate CONCACAF to the highest levels of the sport. This year’s Outstanding Performance Award went to the Panama men's national team.
Navas and Alex Morgan (USA) were announced CONCACAF Male and Female Players of the Year last Sunday.
See below for the complete list of awardees and runner-up finishers.
MALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
1. Keylor Navas (GK) | Costa Rica; Real Madrid CF (ESP)
2. Hirving Lozano (FW) | Mexico; PSV Eindhoven (NED)
3. Andre Blake (GK) | Jamaica; Philadelphia Union (USA)
FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
1. Alex Morgan (FW) | United States; Orlando Pride (USA)
2. Samantha Kerr (FW) | Australia; Sky Blue FC (USA)
3. Christine Sinclair (FW) | Canada; Portland Thorns FC (USA)
MALE GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
1. Keylor Navas | Costa Rica; Real Madrid CF (ESP)
3. Andre Blake | Jamaica; Philadelphia Union (USA)
3. Jaime Penedo | Panama; FC Dinamo București (ROU)
FEMALE GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
1. Adrianna Franch | United States; Portland Thorns FC (USA)
2. Ashlyn Harris | United States; Orlando Pride (USA)
3. Cecilia Santiago | Mexico; Club America (MEX)
MEN’S FOOTBALL COACH OF THE YEAR
1. Greg Vanney | United States; Toronto FC (CAN)
2. Hernan Dario Gomez | Colombia; Panama Men’s National Team
3. Juan Carlos Osorio | Colombia; Mexico Men’s National Team
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL COACH OF THE YEAR
1. Eva Espejo | Mexico; CF Pachuca (MEX)
2. Roberto Medina | Mexico; Mexico Women’s National Team
3. Amelia Valverde | Costa Rica; Costa Rica Women's National Team
MALE REFEREE OF THE YEAR
1. Cesar Ramos | Mexico
2. Joel Aguilar | El Salvador
3. Kimbell Ward | Saint Kitts and Nevis
FEMALE REFEREE OF THE YEAR
1. Lucila Venegas | Mexico
2. Carol Anne Chenard | Canada
3. Marianela Araya Cruz | Costa Rica
GOAL OF THE YEAR
1. Amaury Escoto | Mexico; Lobos BUAP (MEX) v. CD Guadalajara (MEX), 85th minute, SEP 26
2. Camila | Brazil; Orlando Pride (USA) v. Houston Dash (USA), 16th minute, JUN 17
3. Ernesto Sinclair | Panama; CD Plaza Amador (PAN) v. CD Arabe Unido (PAN), 88th minute, AUG 20
MALE BEST XI
Goalkeeper
Keylor Navas | Costa Rica; Real Madrid CF (ESP)
Defenders
Cristian Gamboa | Costa Rica; Celtic FC (SCO)
Hector Moreno | Mexico; AS Roma (ITA)
Kendall Waston | Costa Rica; Vancouver Whitecaps FC (CAN)
Roman Torres | Panama; Seattle Sounders FC (USA)
Midfielders
Bryan Ruiz | Costa Rica; Sporting CP (POR)
Christian Pulisic | United States; Borussia Dortmund (GER)
Hector Herrera | Mexico; FC Porto (POR)
Wilde-Donald Guerrier | Haiti; Qarabağ FK (AZE)
Forwards
Alberth Elis | Honduras; Houston Dynamo (USA)
Hirving Lozano | Mexico; PSV Eindhoven (NED)
FEMALE BEST XI
Goalkeeper
Adrianna Franch | United States; Portland Thorns FC (USA)
Defenders
Abby Dahlkemper | United States; North Carolina Courage (USA)
Ali Krieger | United States; Orlando Pride (USA)
Becky Sauerbrunn | United States; FC Kansas City (USA)
Emily Menges | United States; Portland Thorns FC (USA)
Midfielders
Allie Long | United States; Portland Thorns FC (USA)
Carli Lloyd | United States; Houston Dash (USA)
Jessie Fleming | Canada; UCLA (USA)
Lindsey Horan | United States; Portland Thorns FC (USA)
Forwards
Alex Morgan | United States; Orlando Pride (USA)
Marta | Brazil; Orlando Pride (USA)
CONCACAF Outstanding Performance Award
On the strength of earning its first-ever FIFA World Cup berth, the Panama men’s national team was named Tuesday winner of the 2017 CONCACAF Outstanding Performance Award.
Led by head coach Hernan Dario Gomez, the Canaleros finished third in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying for Russia 2018, compiling a 3W-4D-3L record. The campaign was highlighted by a 2-1 win over second-place visitor Costa Rica on the last day of play, as defender Roman Torres struck dramatically for the game-winning goal with two minutes remaining in normal time.
In 12 of Panama’s 16 total qualifiers, it conceded one goal or fewer. Panama will become the 11th CONCACAF nation to compete in the World Cup, when the whistles blows to open its encounter against Belgium on June 18, 2018.
