U.S. SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR NOMINEE BIOS

Sam Coffey, Midfielder

Coffey has become a mainstay in the USWNT midfield, contributing with her stoic ball-winning and goals inside the penalty box. The New Yorker went on a nice run for club and country this year, picking up steam in early summer and continuing into the fall when she scored four times in three FIFA windows. The first of those goals came on May 31 of this year vs. China PR and then she scored twice in the next window, against Ireland on June 26 and then again vs. Canada on July 2. Her fourth goal came in the second to last FIFA window of 2025 when she scored against Portugal on Oct. 26, spinning in a beautiful strike off a corner to clinch the 3-1 victory. Coffey quadrupled her goal production this year from her three previous years with the USWNT, showcasing her increasing ability to get involved in the attack while also contributing defensively with her box-to-box play. She also had a fantastic dribbling run and assist against Italy on Dec. 28 on Catarina Macario’s first goal of that match. In the NWSL, she had an excellent year as captain of Portland Thorns FC, and as the defensive midfielder, scored two goals with four assists to help her club to the NWSL playoff semifinals. Coffey started all but one of the Thorns’ matches this season, proving to be an invaluable backbone to a Portland side that finished third in the league. Coffey is a leader and role model both on and off the pitch as she was nominated for the inaugural Lauren Holiday Impact Award in 2024 for her work and partnership with Helping Hands.

This is Sam Coffey’s first nomination for this award.

Emily Fox, Defender

In a year full of increased opportunities at each position at the start of the run up to 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Emily Fox was a consistent presence at right back for the USWNT. The Arsenal defender made at least one start in each camp of 2025 and has played in eight matches for the WNT this year with six starts. In 2025, Fox was nominated for the Concacaf Player of the Year award and the Ballon d’Or. She was also named to the 2024/25 PFA WSL Team of the Year after she played in all 22 of Arsenal’s WSL matches and helped the London side to 11 shutouts. She played a key role in Arsenal’s magical run to the 2025 UFEA Women’s Champions League title, defeating Barcelona with a 1-0 shutout win in the final. Fox’s performance earned her UEFA Women’s Champions League Team of the Season recognition. In the 2025-26 WSL season, Fox has made 12 starts in her 13 matches and has one goal, that scored in the UEFA Women’s Champions League vs. Bayern Munich. In the 2024-25 season, she smashed home a shot from distance on Feb. 16 vs. Tottenham which earned her Goal of the Month.

This is Emily Fox’s first nomination for this award.

Alyssa Thompson, Forward

Thompson has made a consistent impact on the U.S. attack in 2025, playing in all but two matches this year. She has scored two goals for the U.S. with one assist, all three coming in the summer window in the two 4-0 wins over Ireland. She spent the first part of 2025 with Angel City FC in the NWSL before a September transfer to Chelsea FC in England. The speedy forward scored six goals and had two assists across 21 Angel City matches, finishing second on the team in scoring despite missing the end of the season. She book-ended her 2025 NWSL play with goals in her first and final Angel City matches of the season. With Chelsea, Thompson contributed to their Oct. 15 Champions League win over Paris FC with both a goal and an assist. Against Tottenham on Oct. 12, Thompson earned Player of the Match in just her sixth appearance for the club. She has played in 11 matches for the Blues, starting eight of them, and has scored three times with one assist.

This is Alyssa Thompson’s first nomination for this award. She was nominated for U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year in 2022 after playing in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup which led to her making her USWNT debut that same year. 

Rose Lavelle, Midfielder

While injury delayed the early part of her season, Rose Lavelle has made the most of her minutes since returning to the pitch for Gotham FC and the U.S. in June. Lavelle started and scored in her first match back for the U.S. and buried two more goals across six matches this year. She also has three assists, most recently setting up Olivia Moultrie’s goal 67 seconds into the 3-0 win over Italy on Nov. 28. Her first goal of the year came as part of a 4-0 win over Ireland on June 26, and Lavelle scored the next two in the October window. She scored the first just 33 seconds into the first match against Portugal on Oct. 23 and the second when she captained the side against New Zealand on Oct. 29, rocketing a shot from the top of the box with one touch off the half-volley to put the U.S. up 2-0 en route to a 6-0 win. She played 16 games for Gotham this year, contributing six goals and two assists and famously scored the game-winning goal during the 1-0 victory over the Washington Spirit in the NWSL Championship Game, which helped her earn Championship MVP honors. She helped the Bats to a huge road upset of the KC Current in the first round of the playoffs and a road win against the defending Champion, Orlando Pride, in the semifinal to earn a spot in the NWSL Championship Game. Lavelle also is the newest addition to the USWNT 50+ club, with more than 50 combined goals and assists in her international career, an achievement she hit this season.

This is Rose Lavelle’s third nomination for this award. Her first came in 2021 when she reached a personal best of five goals and five assists on the year and had won SheBelieves Cup MVP. She was nominated again in 2022 when she recorded a new career high of six assists. 

Catarina Macario, Forward

Catarina Macario leads the USWNT in scoring in 2025 with seven goals and two assists. In her best year for the U.S. since coming back from a major injury, she has started nine games and has scored against Colombia, Brazil, China PR, New Zealand and Italy. She registered back-to-back braces in the USA’s two most recent matches, a 6-0 win over the Kiwis and a 3-0 win over Le Azzure. Her emotional goal against Colombia on Feb. 20 in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup opener marked her first goal for the USA since April 12, 2022, a span of 712 days. Playing mostly as a center forward, Macario has created dangerous opportunities for herself and her teammates in every match she has played. She played her first match against Brazil, the country of her birth, on April 5 in the USA’s 2-0 win and put in a solid shift up top. She then scored her first goal against her birth country in the 2-1 loss in the next match, scoring her 10th career goal seconds into the match. This season she’s off to a good start for Chelsea with a pair of assists across eight league matches so far. Macario buried two goals in Chelsea’s UEFA Women’s Champions League 6-0 win over St. Polten, a match she started for the Blues.

Max Arfsten, Defender

A USMNT debutant in 2025, defender Max Arfsten earns his first U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year Award nomination. The California native was paramount in the Concacaf Gold Cup run, notching three total goal contributions, including a goal and assist in a highly contested penalty shootout victory against Costa Rica. Arfsten made 16 appearances for the USMNT in 2025, registering one goal and five assists, playing the second-most minutes of any outfield player this year. He’s become a critical player for MLS side Columbus Crew, leading them to the playoffs with four goals and eight assists in the regular season, and one goal with two assists in the playoffs. Arfsten’s performances earned him a spot on his first MLS All-Star Team this season. 

Alex Freeman, Defender

Alex Freeman has been in flying form in his first year with the USMNT to earn his first U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year Award nomination. Freeman played a major role in defense, starting every game in the USMNT’s road to the 2025 Gold Cup Final and contributing to three shutout victories. The 21-year-old ended his debut campaign with his first goals, scoring a brace in a 5-1 demolition of Uruguay. Competing in 29 games for MLS side Orlando City SC, Freeman contributed six goals and three assists during the regular season, on the way to helping the club reach the first round of the playoffs. Freeman’s stunning displays led to a first-time MLS All-Star appearance in addition to being named 2025 MLS Young Player of the Year and his inclusion in the 2025 MLS Best XI. 

Matt Freese, Goalkeeper

Goalkeeper Matt Freese seized the starting role for the final 12 games of the year for the U.S. en route to earning his first U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year Award nomination. After making his debut for the U.S. in an international match against Turkey, Freese was instrumental in the run to the 2025 Gold Cup Final, starting every game. He was the hero in the quarterfinal penalty shootout against Costa Rica, where he saved three penalty kicks to deliver the USMNT the victory. Freese kept three of the four USMNT clean sheets during 2025. Starting in 35 total games for MLS side NYCFC, Freese kept 11 clean sheets and recorded 108 saves en route to making the Eastern Conference Finals.

Chris Richards, Defender

Defender Chris Richards, made 12 appearances for the USMNT in 2025, starting every game for the U.S. in the center of defense on the way to the 2025 Gold Cup Final. He scored twice in the tournament, including a header in the final against Mexico. Richards' strong performances led to his inclusion in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup Best XI. He’s become a crucial player for historic English side Crystal Palace in a season where they defeated Manchester City in the 2025 FA Cup Final to earn a place in the Europa Conference League, and then Premier League defending champion Liverpool in the Community Shield.

Malik Tillman, Midfielder

A first-time nominee, midfielder Malik Tillman played in nine games for the USMNT leading the charge for the U.S. attack to earn a U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year nomination. Tillman netted three times in the group stage and provided two assists across two knockout stage games, helping the U.S. reach the 2025 Gold Cup Final. Tillman was named to the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup Best XI for his performances. He’s also taken a leap at the club level, tallying 16 goals and five assists for PSV Eindhoven across all competitions leading to his inclusion in the 2025 Eredivisie Team of the Season in a season where PSV won the league title. Tillman’s stellar displays earned him a move to German Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the summer. 

2025 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year Nominee Criteria

The criteria to be eligible for the 2025 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year is any player who has participated in a training camp with any of the USA’s Women’s Youth National Teams during the calendar year. Players can with the award only once. Naomi Girma in 2020, Trinity Rodman won the award in 2021, Jaedyn Shaw in 2022, Olivia Moultrie in 2023 and Ally Sentnor took home the 2024 award. 

Jordyn Bugg, Defender (Seattle Reign, WNT, U-23 WNT and U-20 WNT)

The 19-year-old Bugg has seen action across the U.S. Soccer spectrum this year. The defender traveled to Germany with the U.S. U-23s in May and June. She played the full 90 in both matches vs. Germany and, in the first match, contributed an assist to Evelyn Shores’ late game winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Bugg’s performance with the U-23 side helped her earn senior team call-ups for the remainder of 2025. Bugg made her first senior international appearance and first senior international start in back-to-back 4-0 wins over Ireland in June. Those two matches were the first of four shutouts Bugg has contributed to for the USA in her first four caps. In club play, Bugg has made herself a staple for the Seattle Reign. Starting all but one regular season match, Bugg tallied three goals for Seattle, including a game-winning screamer to help kick off the 2025 season against the North Carolina Courage on March 22. The goal earned her a nomination for FIFA’s Marta Award, given to the best goal scored by a female player throughout the year. This year, Bugg also earned a spot on the NWSL Best XI Second Team. She had also seen training camp time with the U.S. U-20 WNT this year as she is age-eligible for next year’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.

This is Bugg’s second nomination for Young Female Player of the Year, the first earned last year when she played a key role in the USA’s run to third place at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, the best finish for the U.S. U-20s in 12 years. She started all seven matches for the USA at the World Cup, playing all but four minutes of the tournament. 

Pearl Cecil (Univ. of Virginia and U-17 WNT)

Cecil was a key contributor and a leader for the U.S. U-17 WNT this year, both creating from the backline and shutting down opposing attacks. She started all 15 matches she played in 2025 for the U-17s, logging 1,213 minutes while contributing to eight shutouts and providing one goal and one assist. Cecil scored in the second of three Concacaf U-17 qualifiers where the United States earned three shutouts in early April. Cecil also played all four U-17 FIFA Women’s World Cup matches, helping to keep a shutout for the entire group stage before a hard-fought quarterfinal against the Netherlands went to penalty kicks and the U.S. came up just short. Cecil did bury the USA fourth penalty kick in that shootout. As a true freshman at Virginia, Cecil showed maturity and quality. She played in eight matches during the season and had one goal and one assist. She started in her first collegiate appearance ever and scored in her second, on Aug. 21 vs. Xavier. She helped Virginia to the NCAA tournament this year and provided an assist in UVA’s 5-0 first-round, shutout win over High Point and played in the second round 2-0 win over Penn State before the Cavaliers fell in PKs to Washington in the third round.

This is Cecil’s first nomination for Young Female Player of the Year.

Micayla Johnson (Chicago Stars and U-17 WNT)

As one of the youngest players in the NWSL, Johnson contributed to both club and country this year. The Chicago Stars forward appeared in 10 matches for the U.S. U-17 WNT including all three Concacaf qualifiers and all four U-17 FIFA Women’s World Cup matches. Johnson logged 660 international minutes with as many scoring contributions as she had games (seven goals and three assists). She scored in all three Cocacaf qualifiers, including a brace in the final match vs. El Salvador, scoring the first goal which was ultimately the game winner in the 7-0 shutout. Johnson also scored the lone U.S. goal in the quarterfinals of the U-17 FIFA Women’s World Cup vs. Netherlands on a world class strike before the USA fell in penalty kicks. At 17 years old, Johnson joined the Chicago Stars at the start of the 2025 season. She made her debut on March 14 of this year vs. the Orlando Pride and scored her first professional goal on Oct. 5 this year vs. the Utah Royals. 

This is Johnson’s first nomination for the Young Female Player of the Year.

Lilly Reale (Gotham FC, WNT and U-23 WNT)

Reale has solidified herself on the left flank across club and country in 2025. In late May and early June, she took the field for the U.S. U-23 WNT in both their friendlies in Germany. She went the distance in her U-23 debut, playing a full 90 minutes and scoring first in the 2-1 win over Germany. She then played another half in the second match. For the next FIFA window, Reale was called up to the senior team. The left back was excellent in her senior team debut, playing the full 90 and earning an assist in the USA’s 4-0 win over Ireland. Reale has earned four more caps since then, all of them shutouts. She played an especially strong match in the 3-0 win over Canada on July 2. The 22-year-old natural left-footer had a stellar first season in the NWSL, winning the 2025 NWSL Rookie of the Year and her consistent performances with Gotham FC earned a place on the 2025 NWSL Best XI Second Team. She played in a remarkable 29 matches for Gotham FC this year and scored one goal with one assist while logging 2,217 minutes in the process. She started all three playoff NWSL playoff games for the Bats and helped the team to the NWSL title, her first and the club’s second. 

This is Lilly Reale’s first nomination for Young Female Player of the Year.

Riley Tiernan (Angel City FC and U-23 WNT)

The 23-year-old Tiernan started every match for Angel City FC this season, antagonizing backlines throughout her entire rookie year. Three matches into the season, Tiernan buried her first professional goal -- a game winner over Seattle Reign to win 2-1 at home. Her first assist came in the very next match vs. the Houston Dash, a match in which she also scored. She earned her first professional brace in a 4-3 win over the Washington Spirit. The breakout performance across the 2025 season saw Tiernan earn NWSL Rookie of the Month in back-to-back months. Her eight total goals were most for a rookie and tied for second-most of any American in the NWSL. Tiernan has been four U.S. U-23 WNT training camps on the year including the two matches in Germany where she started one match and logged 73 total minutes. She also started against the full Slovakia Women’s National Team on Nov. 28 in the USA’s 1-0 win and played 60 minutes. 

This is Tiernan’s first nomination for Young Female Player of the Year.

YOUNG MALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

The criterion to be eligible for the 2025 U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year is any player who has participated in a training camp with any of the Men's Youth National Teams during the calendar year. Players can win the U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year Award only once.

Mathis Albert (U-17 MNT), Forward

A second-year nominee for Young Male Player of the Year, Mathis Albert continued to make strides for club and country in 2025. The 16-year-old was part of the U.S. squad at the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, where he tallied a crucial 78th-minute game winner in the 1-0 victory against Czechia in the group finale, the goal ensuring the USA won all three group stage matches at the tournament for just the second time. Albert also scored in the penalty shootout defeat to Morocco in the Round of 32. In total, the attacker appeared in six matches for the U-17 MNT in 2025, including all four games at the World Cup. On the club front, Albert has done well with Borussia Dortmund’s U-19 side this year, registering seven goals and four assists in nine U-19 Bundesliga matches, as well as a goal and assist in three UEFA Youth League contests. 

Benjamin Cremaschi (U-20 MNT, USMNT), Midfielder

Already with three senior team caps to his name, midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi had a standout campaign for the USA at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Captaining the side in Chile, Cremaschi recorded five goals and two assists in five matches, becoming just the second U.S. player to claim the Golden Boot at the Men’s U-20 World Cup. Cremaschi recorded three goals and two assists in the opening match against New Caledonia, before adding two more goals in the 3-0 defeat of Italy in the Round of 16. In total, Cremaschi appeared in 10 matches for the U-20 MNT this year, finishing with seven goals and two assists. He also earned two caps in the USMNT’s January friendlies. Meanwhile, the 20-year-old midfielder appeared in 31 matches for Inter Miami, including four at the FIFA Club World Cup, tallying a goal and two assists in league play before moving out to Serie A side Parma on loan, where he has made two appearances.

Brooklyn Raines (U-20 MNT, U-21 MNT), Midfielder

One of the top performers for the USA at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, Raines earned 10 caps for the U-20 MNT during the year and started four of his five appearances at the World Cup. A crucial part of the team’s success, Raines was key in patrolling the U.S. midfield in Chile, but also contributed in the attack, recording an assist in the 9-1 win against New Caledonia and a memorable 88th minute goal in the 3-0 win against France. He also appeared in both U-21 MNT matches held in Europe this past November. On the club front, the 20-year-old made 27 appearances across all competitions for the Houston Dynamo, contributing two assists, ranking No. 21 on Major League Soccer’s 22 Under 22 List. 

Cavan Sullivan (U-17 MNT), Midfielder

The youngest player on this year’s list, 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan continued his growth with club and country in 2025. Sullivan appeared in nine matches for the U-17 MNT during the year and led the USA in offensive production at the recently concluded U-17 World Cup in Qatar. He played a part in four of the team’s five goals during their run to the knockout round. In the group stage, he came off the bench to score the lone goal in the 1-0 win against Burkina Faso and set up Nimfasha Berchimas and scored a winner from the penalty spot in the 2-1 win against Tajikistan. In the Round of 32, Sullivan dished another assist to Jude Terry against Morocco and scored from the penalty spot during the shootout. On the club front, Sullivan made 13 appearances, including two in the MLS Cup Playoffs, for the Supporters Shield-winning Philadelphia Union. He split time between the first team and Union II, where he registered six goals and five assists in 14 appearances in MLS Next Pro.

Josh Wynder (U-20 MNT), Defender

Playing in his second FIFA U-20 World Cup, Wynder was key to the USA’s quarterfinal run in Chile, appearing in all five matches and contributing two clean sheets in 3-0 wins against France in the group stage and Italy in the Round of 16. Overall, Wynder made eight U-20 MNT appearances, tallying a goal in a September warmup match against Morocco. On the club front, the center back appeared in 16 matches for Benfica II in the Portuguese Second Division, tallying one goal along the way.