Canadian women’s soccer star Christine Sinclair can add another honour to her illustrious resume. The striker from Burnaby, B.C., was named the 2009 Canadian women’s player of the year for the fifth consecutive time Thursday, in a vote shared by the Canadian media, and A- and B-licensed Canadian coaches. Sinclair joined FC Gold Pride in 2009 for the inaugural season of Women’s Professional Soccer, leading the team with six goals (tied for fifth in the league).
Internationally, Sinclair scored four goals in seven games to finish as the Canadian women’s top goal-scorer for the ninth time in 10 seasons.
Sinclair is Canada’s all-time leader with 99 goals in 132 career appearances.
Simeon Jackson has been named the Canadian male soccer player of the year for 2009.
The Mississauga, Ont., striker helped Gillingham FC earn a promotion to League One in England, scoring nine goals in 25 League Two appearances in the second half of the 2008-09 season.
Jackson scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Shrewsbury on May 23 that secured his club the promotion.
He made a memorable debut with the Canadian team just a week later, scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 victory over Cyprus.
Jackson, 22, represented Canada at the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup in the summer, helping Canada reach the quarter-finals.
He was called up again in November for a pair of friendlies in Europe, earning him seven national appearances by year’s end.