USSF releases nominees for female Player of the Year

The nominees for US Soccer's Female Player of the Year are:

Lauren Holiday (midfielder)

Carli Lloyd (midfielder)

Megan Rapinoe (midfielder)

Becky Sauerbrunn (defender)

Hope Solo (goalkeeper)

Lloyd is already nominated for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, no doubt based strongly on her performance in the USA vs. Japan World Cup final in which - stop us if you've already heard this one - she scored a pretty sweet hat trick in less time than it takes some people to cook dinner. That kind of stuff can sway voters pretty hard in any year, let alone a World Cup year.

It's also fitting that three midfielders were nominated in a year when so many questions about the team revolved around midfield issues. Holiday, Lloyd, and Rapinoe stepped up at various times trying to keep things flowing through the mid, although perhaps midfield discussions shouldn't take place without Morgan Brian.

Voting for the award is done by WNT coaches and staff, players who earned a cap in 2015, members of the USSF Board of Directors, U.S. Soccer's Athlete Council, NWSL coaches, and certain college coaches and media members. Results will be announced next Wednesday, December 16, during pre-game for the last game of the Victory Tour in New Orleans.

Do you think USSF left anyone out? Let us know in the comments.