For the second time in three years, defender Kadeisha Buchanan has been named Canadian female soccer player of the year.
It’s been a whirlwind 2017 for Buchanan, a 22-year-old centre back from Brampton, Ont.
Buchanan made history with France’s FCF Olympique Lyonnais when she captured the UEFA Women’s Champions League championship, becoming the first Canadian to do so.
European success followed a memorable college career for Buchanan at West Virginia University, that was capped off by winning the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy as the best player in the NCAA for the 2016 season. On the national team level, she made nine appearances for Canada in 2017.
Sportsnet had a chance to speak Buchanan, who is currently in France with her pro club Lyon:
What was your reaction when Canada Soccer told you the news?
I was pretty shocked. I saw the list and it was a really tight year. It goes to show how we in Canada are getting much better because in past years, you would know which person was going to win. But this year, I looked at the list and was “Wow! Everyone had an amazing year.” It could’ve gone to anyone. I was shocked.
Tell us about your time so far in France. What has the year been like playing for Lyon?
It’s been a great experience for me with winning Champions League and now we’re going into the quarterfinals for next year. Just in general, winning the [French] league, the [French] cup and Champions League, I think it was an eye-opener for me. I knew that this is a special team and I was really lucky to be part of that season last year. I couldn’t wait to start a full year because last year, I came at the second half of the season and now I’ll be there for the whole season. It’ll be exciting to see if we can do it all again.
Your Champions League victory was historic because no Canadian player has ever hoisted that trophy. What do you remember about the final versus PSG, and playing against Canadian teammate Ashley Lawrence? It was a thriller, too, winning on penalties.
You’re right. And it was such a tense final because we had played PSG two times in the last two weeks. So, three games in two weeks and it was crazy. It was a tight game. To play Ashley and for us to be a part of that moment, I think it was a big deal for both of us.
Would you like to see more Canadians playing professionally in Europe?
Well, playing overseas is not for everyone. I think for myself, and I can speak for Ashley, this is what we wanted and we made it ours. I feel if you play in the National Women’s Soccer League or wherever you want to play, just make sure it’s the best for you. If you’re getting playing time anywhere, playing well and a coach sees you, the coach will recognize you to come and play for your country. This has happened to a few players this year. It depends on what is the best fit for you. The NWSL is a great league. Look at Alex Morgan, she played in France and the NWSL.
And you’ve adjusted well in France? How is your French?
[laughs] Umm… my French is getting better! It’s a difficult language, but the coaches, staff, players have been supportive and they make it feel like home for me.
Let’s talk a little bit about Canada and your year with the national team. What are you seeing from the squad?
I think we’re just seeing the beginning steps of what this team is capable of doing when only some players are there. I think for Canada, when everyone is there, it’s a different story. We all depend on each other on this team. It’s great to see in spurts and moments throughout this year that we were putting up gold medal performances. We’ve got high school players, NCAA players, those overseas and it’s been hard to get everyone together and ready. Even when everyone is not there, you can see how the connection is so strong. It’s going to be amazing to see when everyone is together and on the same page.
How do you look back on 2017?
2017 was a year where everyone was trying to find their identity. As you can see, in 2017 it wasn’t a simple pick. Everyone was working hard, trying to be the best for the team and for their country. Let’s continue this for 2018 and have some fun.
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