Team standouts recognized at national team level after successful 2022 campaigns
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Dec. 15, 2022) – Two San Diego Wave Fútbol Club forwards, Alex Morgan and Jaedyn Shaw, were nominated by U.S. Soccer for its 2022 Player of the Year awards after historic years for both club and country. Morgan was nominated for the BioSteel Female Player of the Year, while 18-year-old rookie Jaedyn Shaw is in the running for the Chipotle Young Female Player of the Year.
Both standouts are recognized at the national team level after successful club seasons, helping San Diego Wave FC become the most successful expansion club in NWSL history with a third-place finish and a playoff run to the Semi-Finals.
Fans can vote for both awards on ussoccer.com and at the links below. The fan vote will account for 15 percent of the overall vote tally with the rest coming from National Team players, coaches, media, and other constituents. Voting began on Thursday, Dec. 15, at 11 a.m. ET and concludes on Dec. 22 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The winners will then be announced in January 2023.
VOTE NOW: 2022 Player of the Year Fan Vote
This is Morgan’s seventh Player of the Year nomination after winning the honor in 2012 and 2018. Her first matches this year with the USWNT came in the Concacaf W Championship, which she kick-started with two goals in the USA’s first game in the tournament. Morgan then capped off the CWC with a game-winning goal in the championship final as she converted a penalty kick to defeat Canada 1-0. She played a key role in the tournament while helping the USA qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Morgan’s four National Team goals this year gave her 119 for her career and 12 as a mom, one short of tying Joy Fawcett’s record for most goals scored as a mom in USWNT history. In the USA’s final match of the year, a 2-1 win vs. Germany on Nov. 13, she earned her 200th cap, becoming just the 13th player in U.S. history to reach that milestone. For San Diego, the 33-year-old Morgan scored a career-high 15 regular season goals in 19 matches to win the NWSL Golden Boot, and she was named to the NWSL Best XI First Team. She also had three assists.
Morgan joins Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Mallory Pugh, and Sophia Smith as nominees for U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year.
Jaedyn Shaw ended 2022 with seven U-20 caps and three goals, appearing in all three of the USA’s U-20 Women’s World Cup matches. Shaw made her NWSL debut on July 30, at Soldier Field against the Chicago Red Stars and scored her first professional goal, the game-winner, just 28 minutes into the match. At age 17, she became the youngest player to score in her first National Women’s Soccer League match. The rookie scored in each of her first three professional matches, the second player in league history to achieve this feat.
Shaw is accompanied by fellow nominees Onyeka Gamero, Alyssa Thompson, Riley Jackson and Olivia Moultrie for Female Young Player of the Year.
Be there for every moment of Wave FC’s 2023 campaign with Season Tickets, which will go on sale following the release of the 2023 NWSL schedule. Season Ticket members enjoy a one-of-a-kind game day experience at the new Snapdragon Stadium with an array of benefits like exclusive events, gifts, discounts and more. Supporters should stay tuned on club social media and at sandiegowavefc.com for additional player updates and information on the upcoming season.
About San Diego Wave Fútbol Club
San Diego Wave Fútbol Club is the 12th and newest member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The club’s vision is to be a force for good through the game of football and is led by President Jill Ellis, former head coach of the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) and two-time World Cup champion. Together with Head Coach Casey Stoney, the club is bringing the highest level of world-class, professional soccer to San Diego. USWNT standouts Alex Morgan and Abby Dahlkemper were two of the first players signed to the club, which consists of athletes representing five international soccer federations, including the US, Canada, Sweden, England and Australia. The new Snapdragon stadium serves as Wave FC’s permanent home, where San Diego broke the record for both the NWSL Playoff attendance record and the NWSL regular-season record, with 26,215 and 32,000 fans. Wave FC also made history in 2022 as the first expansion team to make the playoffs before advancing to the NWSL Semi-Final. Learn more about the club and players at www.SanDiegoWaveFC.com.
