It’s official. FC Edmonton coach Colin Miller will have the reins of the Canadian men’s national team when it takes on Denmark and the United States this January.

Seven players who have yet to play a senior “A” match for the women’s national team have been named to what has to be called an experimental Canadian roster ahead of the Yongchuan Cup.

“The Whitecaps are investing younger,” he said. “They are using the funding they had and were using on W-League and using it on players who are 14 to 17. Strategically, it makes a lot of sense.”

So we went under the website’s hood and looked at the analytics. And, we were able to rank our 11 most-read stories of the year. Now, we present them in order.

Sometimes, ideas that begin with the best intentions have unintended negative consequences. As the United States Soccer Federation announced the formation of the NWSL, the new tier-one pro league for that country, the Canadian Soccer Association chimed in with the news that it would fund the salaries of 16 players.

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.

Of the 54 players, only two were born in Canada. And of those two, only Kyle Bekker will likely ever play for Canada.

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