Crystal Dunn, Tobin Heath, Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, and Becky Sauerbrunn were all nominees for 2016 Female Player of the Year. Tobin Heath beat out all of her USWNT teammates and took home the title.
Heath, from Basking Ridge, New Jersey, previously played this NWSL season with Portland Thorns FC in addition to her USWNT duties. In 2016, Tobin competed in her fifth major tournament for USA. Heath scored six goals and had eight assists in 22 games in the 2016 season. The 28-year-old midfielder is one of the most skillful USWNT players. Her outstanding performances have named her the "Queen of the Nutmeg."
“It’s obviously an honor to win an award like this, especially when you look at the list of amazing players who have won it before,” Heath said. “This year was a difficult one for our team, but overall we played some great soccer so it’s humbling to be recognized individually. I’m just proud to be in the company of all the great players that were nominated and all of the players that played for the USA this year. I couldn’t have accomplished anything without the support of my teammates and my coaches, and while it was a fun year for me personally, I’m excited not only about my own future, but also the future of this team as I know we have a lot more room to grow and many more goals to achieve.”
Quite the year for @TobinHeath.
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@ussoccer_wnt) December 14, 2016
The 2016 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. #USWNT pic.twitter.com/C1jnPGtcRc
