Canada Soccer releases its year-end award shortlists: But where is futsal? By Steven Sandor Posted on November 28, 2016 1 0 3,745 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Freddy Moojen PHOTO: MARTIN BAZYL/CANADA SOCCER Today, I received my ballot. Canada Soccer released its shortlist for its male and female players of the year, filled with the usual suspects, from Atiba Hutchinson to Christine Sinclair. Also, there’s a list of candidates for the para soccer player of the year, an award for best save of the year, and shortlists for U-17 and U-20 players of the year. But, where is futsal? That’s the question that befuddles me. Our national men’s futsal side roared back to beat the United States in a CONCACAF qualifier, then got to within one game — one half, really — of getting one of the CONCACAF slots at the Futsal World Cup. Canadian Freddy Moojen won the Golden Boot for scoring the most goals at the CONCACAF Championship. And goalkeeper Josh Lemos’s inspirational goalkeeping held Canada in games, and he became a folk hero to those of us who love to share our Canadian soccer stories on social media. Really, if Lemos doesn’t win save of the year for his ridiculous stop against Costa Rica in the CONCACAF Championships, in which he snuffed out a two-on-none break, well that would be a crime. OK, maybe not a full-on crime, but an injustice, for sure. As a media voter (the public can vote on some of the awards, as well), I’m stuck. I think some of the best male performances in Canada jerseys in 2016 came from our futsal players. But there’s no award for futsal — which, to me, is a major faux pas from Canada Soccer. If the Long Term Player Development plan calls for more on-the-ball skills, more futsal, we need to recognize the Canadian futsal specialists who have done great things in international tournaments. And, the players I’ve mentioned are playing professionally in the Major Arena Soccer League, so it’s not like they do it only for Canada. So, until Canada Soccer creates an award for Canada’s top futsal players, something which is overdue, I fully plan to put a write-in candidate — a futsal player — on my men’s player-of-the year-ballot. It’ll be my little way of making my voice heard.
