Sergino Dest, Brianna Pinto & Nick Mayhugh have been tabbed to receive this high honors. Dest has just become cap tied to the USMNT as Brianna was in the senior USWNT camp as Vlatko wanted to see those not currently involved with the senior team especially as those involved had a long season and World Cup, needing the rest.
Dest had 2019 as his coming out party to the USMNT with a stellar run in the U-20 World Cup in Poland, also establishing himself as a part of the rotation with Ajax, quite the historic team out of Holland to go with a trio of USMNT caps. In Poland this inventive defender had starts in 4 of 5 games in the Cup, hitting the gwg from quite a distance in the 3-2 Sweet 16 game besting France. Back with his club team, Sergino was getting time with the senior team preseason as they made it to the UEFA Champions League. Since he made his first apparance in July, he has been in 13 of 16 Eerdivisie and 8 of 10 Champions League games for the side. The excellent play in Holland got him the initial MNT camp and first start facing Mexico. Cap tying himself in Nov. as the US beat Canada in the home leg of the Concacaf Nations League semis, assisting on the first goal in the 4-1 victory, getting enough goals for the goal differential to advance beyond our neighbors from the north. Sergino had this to say of the honor, "It's an amazing award to win and I'm very proud of this moment. I want to thank US Soccer for the nomination, I also want to thank my family, my mom, my dad and everybody who has helped me along the way. This is a great experience for me, and I look forward to winning more team trophies with the US in the future. This is a reall pleasant moment and it makes me feel valued.
Brianna Pinto, her father a state champion out of Brentwod High School, attended her UNC and settled there, omnipresent at her NCAA games, including the final, is a fixture with the USWNT U-20's, entering her 2nd cycle with them this year while at UNC and advancing to the final. She came through the 2016 U-17 & 2018 U-20 World Cups, this tremendous midfield player had 7 games with the U-20's this year with a goal against Germany, wearing the captains armband twice. Her first time with the full USWNT was in 2017. THis year she spearheaded a great run for the Anson Dorrance coached team of UNC as they went 22-1-1, making the All-American and of course All-ACC teams, overall, she started all 27 of her games at UNC this season and hit for 11 goals to go with 6 assists yet place 2nd on her team in scoring. Pinto said "I feel extremely grateful to have been a part of US Soccer since I was 12-years-old when I went to U-14 ID camp. The Federation has given me so many opportunities to travel the world, learn the game and build incredible relationships along the way. To be selected as the Young Player of the Year is humbling and a huge honor, especially looking at all the great players that have earned this award before. I'm incredibly thankful for all my teammates and coaches, and my entire family, who have been with me on this journey."
Mayhugh was massive with the US Para 7-a Side NT as the year had them achive never before reached levels in a pair of major events at the international level. He headed an offense that drove the team to new heights in getting to #4, hitting for 19 goals over just 11 games in the IFPCF World Cup as well as the 2019 Para Pan American Games. At the World Cup in Spain, he hit the GWG in dramatic fashion in the closing minute besting long time power house Iran, as the US advanced to be the only nation beating Iran, other than the top 2 ranked teams in taking the top spot of their group for the first time in team history. The Pan Am games hosted by Lima Peru, saw Nick again take the lead as the US made it to the medal round in topping Brazil in a dramatic come from behind fashion for thier first ever medal in such games. Nick had this to say, " It's an incredible honor to receive this award and a privilege to wear the crest and represent the USA. Thank you to coach Sharp, the coaching staff, the medical staff and everybody on the technical side who contributed to the team's success throughout the year. Thank you to every single one of my teammates, you all push me to be my best and this is as much your award as it is mine."
The votes for all three of these awards are gathered from NT coaches, players who had at least one cap on the year, pro coaches, select media memebers (again not selected) as well as ex players and administrators.