CHICAGO (Oct. 19, 2015) – U.S. Women’s National Team players Carli Lloyd, Hope Solo and Megan Rapinoe were among the 10 players included on the shortlist for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year. WNT head coach Jill Ellis was also included on the 10-person list of finalists for the 2015 World Coach of the Year for women’s soccer.
The final decisions for the winners will be made by the captains and head coaches of the world’s women’s national teams as well as international media representatives selected by FIFA. The voting period for the awards begins on Oct. 26 and closes on Nov. 20, 2015. The three finalists for both awards will be announced on November 30 with the winners announced on January 11, 2016, at the annual FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala in Zurich.
After winning the World Cup, Lloyd, Solo and Rapinoe were each named to the FIFA Women’s World Cup All-Star squad. Lloyd earned Golden Ball honors as the tournament’s best player while scoring six goals, all in the knockout rounds, including a historic hat trick in the Women’s World Cup Final. She also won the Silver Boot as the tournament’s second leading scorer.
Solo was in goal for every minute of all seven games and earned five shutouts while playing a key role in back-stopping a stellar U.S. defense that shut out opponents for 539 minutes during the tournament. She made key stops throughout the tournament, including several spectacular saves in the USA’s 3-1 opening game win against Australia.
Rapinoe played and started in six games of the tournament, scoring two goals (both against Australia in the Group D opener) and also tallied two assists, including one in the World Cup Final.
The lists of the ten players and ten coaches were selected by experts from FIFA’s Committee for Women’s Football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup as well as a group of experts from France Football.
2015 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year Short List:
Nadine Angerer (Germany/Brisbane Roar/Portland Thorns), Ramona Bachmann (Switzerland/FC Rosengård), Kadeisha Buchanan (Canada/West Virginia University), Amandine Henry (France/Olympique Lyonnais), Eugénie Le Sommer (France/Olympique Lyonnais), Carli Lloyd (USA/Houston Dash), Aya Miyama (Japan/Okayama Yunogo Belle), Megan Rapinoe (USA/Seattle Reign), Célia Šašić (Germany/1.FFC Frankfurt), Hope Solo (USA/Seattle Reign)
2015 FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women’s Soccer Short List:
Calle Barrling (Sweden/Swedish U-19 national team), Colin Bell (England/1.FFC Frankfurt), Farid Benstiti (France/Paris Saint-Germain), Jill Ellis (USA/USA national team), Laura Harvey (England/Seattle Reign), John Herdman (England/Canadian national team), Gérard Prêcheur (France/Olympique Lyonnais), Mark Sampson (Wales/English national team), Norio Sasaki (Japan/Japanese national team), Thomas Wörle (Germany/FC Bayern Munich)