Forward, Alex Morgan was tapped for the best female player on the strength of an amazing 18 goals in 19 games as 20 year old Tierna Davidson a defender now with nine starts in her nine games got the nod as the top young female player. This is the 2nd time Alex has received this award, the first being 2012 with 28 goals and Olympic gold. Tierna may only win her designation once.
Alex Morgan: Finished strong in 2017, which set her up for the tear she would go on this past year including a trio of assists, with her 18 goals, far and away tops on the team & her 2nd highest total to date closing out 2018 with a gaudy 98 goals. Striking true in facing 9 nations, with many multipule goal games including a hat trick facing Japan in the Tournament of Nations, she is now #3 in multi goal games tied with Michelle Akers @26 and trailing only Mia Hamm with 38 and #1 Abby Wamback and her seemingly impossible 45. The Golden Boot winner in Concacaf with her 7 goals despite only getting in on 4 out of 5 of these games, 2 facing Jamaica in the semis put the USA through to the Final in the World Cup and hit for the first goal as the US beat Canada for the Cup. In NWSL play she was also very productive with over 1,500 minutes in 19 games with 5 goals and 2 assists. Alex had this to say of her stellar year, "It was an incredible year for the USWNT, going undefeated. Of the 5 players nominated, any one was deserving, so I am incredibly honoroed to have won this award."
Tiena Davidson: Still just 20, and a Junior at Stanford, the USWNT Jan. camp in LA is where she set herseslf for that most exciting first cap at age 19, with a full game facing Denmark in a 5-0 win contibuting the game wining assist to Julie Ertz, Since 2013 she is just the 3rd teenage to be capped. Later in 2018 she was with the U-20's as they took the Concacaf title and its ticket to the U-20 WOrld CUp. Getting the start in all dozen of her games, typically at center back but a bit at left back she played 1.049 minutes. In games 2,3 & 4 she was tried and tested in facing She BelievesCup opponents Germany, France & England. Later the 5' 10" Davidson had her first goal in facing Chile and sending home a heaed corner from Tobin Heath. Having lead Stanford to the 2017 title 2018 had her hurt early in a hard tackle facing UNC, missing the rest of the seaon with a broken ankle, missing the World Cup qualifiers and a European trip in Nov. She stated of the award, "It's a huge honor not only to be nominated but to be chosen for this award. "