Kadin Chung is a member of Canada’s national youth program as well as Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency. He represented Canada at the 2015 CONCACAF Men’s Under-17 Championship in Honduras, playing every minute of Canada’s six competitive matches. Of note in the opener against Haiti, he made a goal line clearance and later scored a goal in a 3:1 win. Before the competition, the Canadian left back earned man-of-the-match honours in a friendly match against Guatemala.
“I would like to congratulate Kadin on this great honour,” said Canada Soccer’s Men’s U-17 Coach Sean Fleming. “He had a tremendous cycle and was very consistent in all our national-team projects. He had an excellent performance at the CONCACAF Men’s Under-17 Championship and we look forward to watching him in the future with Canada at the highest level.”
Faulknor is a member of Canada’s national youth program as well as Unionville-Milliken SC. She played in three youth international matches for Canada in 2015, then worked her way up to a call-up to Canada’s Women’s National Team before year end. On 9 December 2015, she became the youngest centre back to make her full debut with Canada at age 16 in a 3:0 win over Mexico, starting on the left side next to 20-year old superstar Kadeisha Buchanan.
“She is very comfortable on the ball and she has adapted over the year – she was a left back at the U-15 level and a wide forward before that,” said Canada Soccer’s Women’s U-17 Coach Bev Priestman. “She has really earned her trade as a centre back: she is really comfortable on the ball, physical, and you could even say she has some Kadeisha Buchanan-type traits and we are seeing that in the Women’s National Team camp.”
Chung of Port Coquitlam, BC finished first in voting ahead of runners up Gabriel Boakye of Richmond Hill, ON (Toronto FC II) and Tristan Borges of Toronto, ON (Toronto FC II). Faulknor finished first in voting ahead of runners up Sarah Stratigakis of Woodbridge, ON (Unionville-Milliken SC) and Deanne Rose of Alliston, ON (Scarborough GS United).
The 2015 Canada Soccer Player Awards are announced from 11-18 December, with the Canadian Para Soccer Player of the Year announced on 11 December, the Canadian U-17 Players of the Year announced on 13 December, the Canadian U-20 Players of the Year announced on 14 December, and the BMO Canadian Players of the Year announced on 17 and 18 December.
CANADIAN U-17 PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
\u200b2015 – Kadin Chung & Kennedy Faulknor
\u200b2014 – Jean-Yves Ballou Tabla & Jessie Fleming
\u200b2013 – Marco Carducci & Sura Yekka
\u200b2012 – Marco Carducci & Ashley Lawrence
\u200b2011 – Bryce Alderson & Ashley Lawrence
\u200b2010 – Bryce Alderson & Diamond Simpson
\u200b2009 – Russell Teibert & Abigail Raymer
\u200b2008 – Russell Teibert & Monica Lam-Feist
\u200b2007 – Olivier Lacoste-Lebuis & Monica Lam-Feist