Stephen Eustáquio, Jessie Fleming named Canada Soccer players of the year
Neil Davidson | The Canadian Press | Posted: December 15, 2023 4:31 PM | Last Updated: December 15
Midfielders played key roles for their club, national teams
Jessie Fleming and Stephen Eustáquio, two key cogs in the Canadian midfield, have been named Canada Soccer Players of the Year.
The two winners were decided by a vote of Canadian coaches and media for their performance over the year for both Canada and their club teams, England's Chelsea for Fleming and Portugal's FC Porto for Eustáquio.
It marks the third straight year that Fleming has won the award. And this year's honour is perhaps especially fitting, given that the 25-year-old from London, Ont., is seen as the heir apparent to Christine Sinclair as Canada captain.
The 40-year-old Sinclair, who played her last international game earlier this month, won the Canadian award 14 times. Fleming has worn the captain's armband when Sinclair didn't start in recent times.
WATCH | Fleming, teammates reflect on Sinclair's career:
It's a first win for Eustáquio, ending Alphonso Davies' three-year hold on the men's award run. The 23-year-old Bayern Munich fullback had won the award four of the last five years.
Davies was runner-up this year with Lille forward Jonathan David third. Celtic fullback Alistair Johnston and Watford's Ismael Kone finished in the top five.
Asked if he saw himself as a potential Canada captain Eustáquio said he just wants to help Canada win.
"I love to play for Canada. If they give me that responsibility, I'm ready for it. But if not, we continue. No problem," he said.
Fleming offered a similar response.
"I think there's a lot of good leadership in our group, right now," she said. "If I'm given that responsibility then, of course, it's a challenge that I would like to take on. But it's not something I'm actively seeking."
Arsenal forward Cloé Lacasse was the women's runner-up with Chelsea fullback/midfielder Ashley Lawrence third. Lyon centre back Vanessa Gilles and Aston Villa forward Adriana Leon rounded out the top five.
News of Fleming's award came 10 years to the day she made her senior debut for Canada as a 15-year-old.
"This year and every year there's so many good candidates for the award," said Fleming. "I think it could have gone to a lot of players on our team. I don't know that giving an award to one person ever sits super-well with me."
"I'm just really grateful to have been on this team for as many years as I have," she added. "I feel like I've grown up on the team and I've had the opportunity to play with a lot of great players and feel like I've learned a lot. But I also still feel like I have a lot left to give the team and a lot that I still want to learn myself and hopefully give back to the younger players what I think a lot of the senior players have given me over the years."
Response to Herdman World Cup regret
Eustáquio also responded to recent comments made by ex-national team coach John Herdman, who told CBC Sports' Anastasia Bucsis that he regretted coaching at the World Cup after his sister's death.
"If you guys knew John, he's a very professional man. It was something big that happened but he never showed us any type of misleading. He was always our first guy, our main guy," Eustáquio said. "And to be honest, in my opinion, he was the top guy to lead us to that World Cup. He deserved it as well because he worked for it."
WATCH | Herdman indicates World Cup regret on POV podcast:
Herdman also said he felt a shift in the team "from we to me" between World Cup qualification and the actual tournament in Qatar.
Eustáquio said it was tough once Canada was eliminated after two games in Qatar and still had to finish out the group stage.
"I understand his words. I'm not going to comment about it. I just want to say that it's really, really hard to be at a tournament that you understand you're not going to go through the next phase. So I mean it is what it is, learning experience, and we just move forward."
Both the women and men have big years ahead with the women look to defend their Olympic title in Paris next summer while the Canadian men look to get past Trinidad and Tobago in March to qualify for Copa America.
Earlier this week, Kone and Harvard defender Jade Rose were named the Young Players of the Year, Samuel Charron Para Soccer Player of the Year and Safwane Mlah Futsal Player of the Year.
Club success
Eustáquio is the creative driving force in the Canadian midfield and, like Fleming, plays an important in delivering Canadian set-piece balls.
The 26-year-old from Leamington, Ont., scored a goal — the game-winner in Canada's first victory in Jamaica in 35 years — and registered an assist in six Canada matches in 2023.
WATCH | Eustáquio scores in Jamaica:
At club through January through November, he made 41 appearances, played 2,732 minutes, scored five goals and added two assists for Porto. He helped the storied Portuguese club finish second in the 2022-23 Primeira Liga and reach the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League.
Eustáquio has won 34 caps for Canada.
Fleming featured in 12 of Canada's 13 matches and had one assist while helping Canada qualify for the Paris Olympics and taking part in her third World Cup.
Able to play both a deeper midfielder and more attacking role, she has 123 caps to her credit.
At club level from January to November 2023, Fleming made 32 appearances, played 1,588 minutes and scored two goals. She also helped Chelsea reach the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League.