Holiday, Sauerbrunn nominees for U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year

By Kathleen Gier

Updated December 11, 2015 11:35 AM

FC Kansas City team members (from left) Heather O’Reilly, Amy Rodriguez, Becky Sauerbrunn and Lauren Holiday — also members of the World Cup winning squad — posed with Kansas City Royals catcher Drew Butera and Sluggerrr for a first-pitch ceremony before the baseball game on August 26, 2015, at Kauffman Stadium. JOHN SLEEZER JSLEEZER@KCSTAR.COM

FC Kansas City’s Lauren Holiday and Becky Sauerbrunn have been announced as candidates for the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year award.

Hope Solo and Megan Rapinoe of the Seattle Reign FC and Carli Lloyd of the Houston Dash are the other candidates.

All five candidates helped the U.S. Women’s National Team win the 2015 Women’s World Cup. Holiday and Sauerbrunn also led the FCKC Blues to their second straight National Women’s Soccer League championship in October.

Holiday is the reigning player of the year, but Solo and Lloyd also have a shot at their second player of the year titles.

The winner will be announced on Dec. 16 during the pregame coverage of the USA and China PR match.

Kathleen Gier: 816-234-4875, @kgier

This story was originally published December 10, 2015 at 6:34 PM with the headline "Holiday, Sauerbrunn nominees for U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year."

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