The Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League will not have a 2012-13 season. But league president Mel Kowalchuk is hopeful the circuit will return for 2013-14.

Ricketts is the final player named to a special squad of Edmonton-area players being put together by FCE star Shaun Saiko.

The United States Soccer Federation has confirmed that a Jan. 29 friendly between Canada and the U.S. has been booked for Houston’s BBVA Compass Stadium.

“The emblem of a competition is an important step on the road to the first game,” said FIFA President Sepp Blatter in a message that was recorded for the launch event.

“I’m a little bit surprised and a little bit happy to win this award for a second time,” he said Wednesday.

Christine Sinclair has won the Lou Marsh Award as Canada’s top athlete of 2012.

Toronto FC’s Doneil Henry won a close vote over Fortuna Dusseldorf’s Samuel Piette and claimed the title of Canada 2012 male U-20 player of the year.

And while many within the soccer community will say the Sinclair choice should have been an obvious one, there was one major distinction between Canada’s greatest soccer player and the rest of the field.

And, in Janine Helland, not only are the women’s national teams of years past recognized, but also the Edmonton Aviators.

But women’s national-team coach John Herdman isn’t so sure. Instead or rosy prognostications about women’s soccer in Canada, he said it’s time for us to lower our expectations, as time has come for the program to take a few lumps.