Print this ArticleAUCKLAND – New Zealand Football is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2009 NZF Awards to be held in Auckland this Friday.
For the second year running, the winners of eight major awards have been decided by votes from a broad panel comprised of national team and national league coaches, former internationals, administrators and football media.
The winners will be announced at an invitation-only evening function at Fables Rug Gallery, Auckland on Friday 7 May where the NZFC and National Women’s League golden boot trophies will also be awarded along with NZF awards for referee and assistant referee of the year.
The event will be attended by the All Whites currently in a domestic camp for Australasian-based players.
The time period covered by the 2009 NZF Awards is from January to December 2009 with the exception of NZFC awards which relate to the 2009-10 season.
See below for more information about the finalists and their achievements in 2009.
2009 NZF Awards Finalists
Nike Men’s Player of the Year
Ryan Nelsen (All Whites & Blackburn Rovers)
Mark Paston (All Whites & Wellington Phoenix)
Shane Smeltz (All Whites & Wellington Phoenix/Gold Coast United)
Nike Women’s Player of the Year
Amber Hearn (Football Ferns & Lynn-Avon United/Ottawa Fury)
Ali Riley (Football Ferns & Stanford University/Pail Blues)
Rebecca Smith (Football Ferns & VfL Wolfsburg)
Nike Young Men’s Player of the Year (U-20)
Costa Barbarouses (Wellington Phoenix)
Ian Hogg (Auckland City)
Chris Wood (All Whites & West Bromwich Albion)
Nike Young Women’s Player of the Year (U-20)
Abby Erceg (Football Ferns & Three Kings United)
Anna Green (Football Ferns, Auckland & Three Kings United)
Rosie White (Football Ferns & Three Kings United)
Coach of the Year
Steve Cain (Young All Whites)
Ricki Herbert (All Whites)
Paul Posa (Auckland City)
Team of the Year
All Whites (2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Auckland City (2009 NZ and Oceania Champions, FIFA Club World Cup)
Young All Whites (FIFA U-17 World Cup)
NZFC Player of the Year: 2009-10 season
Aaron Clapham (Canterbury United)
Chad Coombes (Auckland City)
Ivan Vicelich (Auckland City)
Lion Foundation Women’s League Player of the Year
Anna Green (Auckland Football)
Renee Leota (Capital Football)
Kirsty Yallop (Auckland Football)
New Zealand Football 2009 Awards – Finalists Info
The time period covered by the 2009 NZF Awards is from January to December 2009 with the exception of the NZFC award which relates to the 2009-10 season.
Nike Men’s Player of the Year
Ryan Nelsen (All Whites & Blackburn Rovers)
After injury ruled the Blackburn Rovers skipper out of New Zealand’s FIFA Confederations Cup campaign, Ryan Nelsen showed his importance to the national side throughout the World Cup playoff against Bahrain. He marshalled a back three that earned cleansheets in Manama and Wellington and his leadership and experience was vital as the All Whites kept their nerve and qualified for South Africa. Also scored both goals in a 2-2 draw with Thailand ‘A’ and was NZ’s only regular representative in the English Premier League.
Mark Paston (All Whites & Wellington Phoenix)
Assuming the role of undisputed Phoenix number one at the start of the year, Paston’s four cleansheets in 13 A-League matches went a long way to Wellington earning a reputation as one of the toughest teams to beat. His year, however will be remember for two outstanding performances and 180 goal less minutes against Bahrain capped by a penalty save in the home leg to secure New Zealand’s qualification.
Shane Smeltz (All Whites & Wellington Phoenix/Gold Coast United)
The reigning New Zealand and Oceania player of the year enjoyed another goal-laden season bagging 20 A-League goals in 2009. His tally included two at the end of a golden boot-winning 2008-09 season with the Wellington Phoenix and 18 in 2009 for the Gold Coast on his way to a league record season tally of 19 and another golden boot award. New Zealand’s leading scorer in 2009 (4 goals) was also named man of the match in a 0-0 with Iraq at the FIFA Confederations Cup, the All Whites’ first ever point at a FIFA event.
Nike Women’s Player of the Year
Amber Hearn (Football Ferns & Lynn-Avon United/Ottawa Fury)
Hearn scored three times for the Ferns in 2009, including the first goal in an historic 2-0 win over the Netherlands but it was in the North American W-league where Hearn really hit her straps, scoring 13 goals in 14 games to fire the Ottawa Fury to a the Central Conference title conference and a place in the top four. Hearn was also named to the league’s All Star selection.
Ali Riley (Football Ferns & Stanford University/Pail Blues)
The fleet footed Riley was a welcome return to New Zealand colours in time for the Cyprus Cup campaign and slotted straight back into the starting line-up as the Football Ferns notched a trio of impressive results. Named Scholar-Athlete for the Pac-10 conference for her achievements on and off field for Stanford, Riley also excelled in the North American W-League even when the winger-cum-fullback was used in a make shift central defence role. Her form for the W-League champions garnered plenty attention from scouts in the WPS (the female equivalent of Major League Soccer), earning selection for the WPS draft in early 2010.
Rebecca Smith (Football Ferns & VfL Wolfsburg)
New Zealand’s only fulltime professional in 2009, Vfl Wolfsburg defender Smith proved her worth to the New Zealand team when returning to add experience and defensive steel for the successful Cyprus Cup campaign.
Nike Young Men’s Player of the Year (U-20)
Costa Barbarouses (Wellington Phoenix)
Barbarouses started 2009 as a super sub for the Wellington Phoenix, scoring his first goal for the club off the bench to salvage a 1-1 draw against Adelaide in January. He added eight more appearances at the start of the 2009/10 season to finish with 11 for the 2009 calendar year.
Ian Hogg (Hawke’s Bay United / Auckland City)
Hogg finished the 2008-09 season at Hawke’s Bay United and his form earned himself a move back to Auckland for the 2009-10 season, this time with Auckland City. A fixture at left back, Hogg was one Auckland City’s standout performers at the FIA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi.
Chris Wood (All Whites & West Bromwich Albion)
Wood became just the fifth kiwi to play in the English Premiership when he came on as a substitute for West Bromwich Albion against Portsmouth towards the end of the 2008-09 season. His meteoric rise continued with inclusion in Ricki Herbert’s squad for the FIFA Confederations Cup making his debut, at the tender age of 17, against Tanzania in a pre-tournament friendly. Played in another 18 league and cup games in 2009 for the Baggies in the Championship, and added spark off the bench for the All Whites in both legs of the World Cup playoff against Bahrain.
Nike Young Women’s Player of the Year (U-20)
Abby Erceg (Football Ferns & Three Kings United)
It’s hard to believe the Football Ferns defender who finished the year with 37 (consecutive) career caps to her name was still a teenager for most of 2009. One of the first names down on John Herdman’s team sheet, Erceg started every match in the Four Nations and Cyprus Cup campaigns.
Anna Green (Football Ferns, Auckland & Three Kings United)
Three years after her senior international debut, Green finally earned an extended run in the Ferns line-up playing in six of New Zealand’s eight matches in 2009 including five in the run-on eleven. Was also a standout for Auckland in the National Women’s league, firing a first half hat trick in the final against Capital in the final.
Rosie White (Football Ferns & Three Kings United)
New Zealand’s hat trick hero from the U-17 and U-20 Women’s World Cups of 2008 graduated into the senior ranks aged 15 when she made her full debut against China as a substitute. Played six more times for the Ferns in 2009, including three starts.
Coach of the Year
Steve Cain (Young All Whites)
Instilling unfaltering belief and a tireless work ethic in his side, Cain guided the Young All Whites – unbeaten in pool play – to an historic appearance in the second round of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, becoming the first kiwi team, in 15 attempts, to progress to the knockout stages of a FIFA event tournament.
Ricki Herbert (All Whites)
After running world champions to the wire in a friendly and guiding the All Whites to their first ever point at a FIFA tournament, Herbert’s pulled off a masterstroke in overcoming Bahrain home and away in a monumental FIFA World Cup playoff. Enticing new faces into the fold and employing a new formation, Herbert’s men responded by securing New Zealand’s qualification to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 27 years.
Paul Posa (Auckland City)
After masterminding a late run to the NZFC and O-League titles in 2009 as a ‘caretaker’ coach, Posa drew the very best out of the only amateur side at the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup as Auckland looked every inch the part in finishing fifth at FIFA’s tournament for continental champions, upsetting UAE’s Al Ahli and African champions TP Mazembe along the way.
Team of the Year
All Whites (FIFA Confederations Cup, FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
At the FIFA Confederations Cup the All Whites brushed off defeats to Spain and South Africa to record their first ever point at a FIFA event with a 0-0 draw against Asian champions Iraq. The main course came at the end of the year, with two dramatic legs of a World Cup playoff against Bahrain, with a resilient goal less draw in stifling Manama conditions providing the platform for the dramatic 1-0 win at home to qualify for South Africa 2010.
Auckland City (2009 NZ and Oceania Champions, FIFA Club World Cup)
The three times NZFC champions made it four from five after timing their late season run to perfection and picking up both the 2008-09 NZFC and 2009 OFC Champions Leagues titles. They then shocked the footballing world by defeating FIFA Club World Cup host club Al Ahli from the UAE and African champions TP Mazembe to claim fifth place at the tournament for continental champions.
Young All Whites (FIFA U-17 World Cup)
An unbeaten run through group play saw rank outsiders the Young All Whites reach the second round of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, becoming the first kiwi side to qualify for the knockout stages of a FIFA event. Their drama-filled campaign captured the imagination with three 1-1 draws characterised by an unyielding belief, a never-say-die attitude and some moments of brilliance.
Please note: The timing of Wellington Phoenix’s run into and through the 2010 A-League playoffs did not qualify for the 2009 awards but will be considered for the 2010 edition.
NZFC Player of the Year: 2009-10 season
Aaron Clapham (Canterbury United)
Clapham scored six goals and laid on numerous others for team-mates as Canterbury Unites surged to their first NZFC Grand Final since 2005/06 season. Such was Clapham’s quality and form he earned a call-up to Ricki Herbert’s Australasian-based All Whites camp scheduled for April/May. The former NZ U-20 international was named NZFC Player of the Month for February.
Chad Coombes (Auckland City)
Chad Coombes celebrated the 2009/10 season with his All Whites international debut in the friendly match with Mexico and scored a sublime goal for Auckland City in the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2009. The 26-year-old midfielder also made his 100th NZFC career appearance for his club in another consistent season for Auckland City.
Ivan Vicelich (Auckland City)
The 72-cap All White and Auckland City defender had a strong season for the defending champions as the Kiwitea Street men conceded just 13 goals in 14 games that also included a remarkable 13-match unbeaten run.
Lion Foundation Women’s League Player of the Year
Anna Green (Auckland Football)
Equally adept and threatening as a fullback or in midfield, Green netted a total of 7 goals, but more importantly timed her scoring run to perfection. She netted twice in a semi-final win over Mainland and fired a first half hat trick in the grand final to set up the title-clinching win over Capital.
Renee Leota (Capital Football)
After an injury to strike partner Sarah Gregorious in the first game, Capital’s goal scoring burden feel squarely on Leota’s shoulders and the sometimes Football Ferns striker didn’t disappoint, scoring eight goals over the next five games to push hard for the golden boot and fire Capital to the runners up position.
Kirsty Yallop (Auckland Football)
The early standout in the competition, Yallop torched Auckland’s group stage opposition for four goals twice in the opening three games. Auckland’s captain led from the front, taking Auckland to their sixth title and fourth grand final win in succession.
