Christine Sinclair up for FIFA world player of year award
Canada's John Herdman on early nomination list as top coach
Canadian captain Christine Sinclair is among the 10 candidates for the most prestigious individual honour in women's soccer.
She was on the early nomination list for the FIFA Women's World player of the year award Thursday. Canadian coach John Herdman was one of 10 nominees for the FIFA World coach of the year for women's football.
Sinclair scored 23 goals in 22 matches and led all players with six goals at the London Olympics. The 29-year-old from Burnaby, B.C., had a hat trick in a tense 4-3 semifinal loss in extra time to the Americans.
FIFA has since banned Sinclair for four matches for her conduct after the match.
Herdman guided Canada to an Olympic bronze medal. He helped the team post a record of 14 wins, seven losses and one draw this year.
Four players from the gold medal-winning American team were also nominated. They include Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe.
No American has won since Mia Hamm in 2001 and '02, the first years that FIFA made the women's award. Wambach placed third last time behind Homare Sawa, of 2011 World Cup winner Japan, and Brazil forward Marta.
Wambach scored five goals at the Olympics and Lloyd scored twice as the U.S. beat Japan 2-1 in the final at Wembley Stadium. Morgan and Rapinoe both scored three times at the tournament. Japan has three candidates, including Sawa, goalkeeper Miho Fukumoto and Aya Miyama. Five-time winner Marta and Camille Abily of France have also been nominated.
Pia Sundhage, who coached the U.S. Olympic team, and Norio Sasaki of Japan are also nominated for the coach award. The nomination lists were chosen by FIFA committee members and France Football magazine, which co-organizes FIFA's annual awards.
Three-candidate shortlists are to be announced Nov. 29 in Sao Paulo after voting by national team coaches and captains, plus invited journalists. Winners are to be named at FIFA's annual gala in Zurich on Jan. 7.
FIFA will announce nominees for the Ballon d'Or and other men's awards on Monday.