Canada’s Kadeisha Buchanan chases down the ball during first-half FIFA Women’s World Cup quarterfinal soccer game action against England in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on Saturday, June 27, 2015.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University junior Kadeisha Buchanan earned the 2015 Hyundai Young Player Award, presented Sunday night following the United States’ 5-2 win over Japan at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup final at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.
Buchanan, a center back and native of Brampton, Ontario, beat out 53 eligible athletes for the honor, awarded by the FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG) to the player born after Jan. 1, 1995, deemed to have made the biggest impression in the competition. Eligible athletes were rated according to the following criteria: exceptional skill level, youthful and refreshing playing style, creativity and inspiration, tactical maturity and efficiency, fan recognition through entertaining performances, role model for young players, positive attitude and fair play.
“Kadeisha has done it again at the next stage and has made an impact at the next level,” WVU coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. “This is an unbelievable honor for her to win — it is by far one of the most prestigious awards in our sport. Kadeisha’s exceptional skill level, playing style and creativity are all components that the FIFA committee believed warranted this award. I am so unbelievably proud of her because she had a tremendous World Cup. This honor speaks to all her hard work, passion and commitment to the game.”
Buchanan played all 90 minutes in each of Canada’s five matches at the World Cup…