American Hope Solo and young German Almuth Schult have shared top place to take the 2014 Award as The IFFHS World’s Best Woman Goalkeeper. Each scored 110 points in votes from editorial staff and experts from 60 countries around the world in the third running of the IFFHS annual election for the world’s best performers.
HOPE SOLO AND ALMUTH SCHULT ARE THE WORLD’S BEST WOMEN GOALKEEPERS 2014
The 33 years old Hope Solo was seeking to make it three wins in succession to defend the titles she won in 2012 and 2013 but was forced into a tie with her ten years younger rival. It was the first time the Award had been shared by two contestants.
Hope Solo had a very good year with her club Seattle Reign which made the final of the NWSL against Kansas City and also with the USA National Team. She had to overcome private problems to continue as one of the leading personalities in women’s world football of the past five years.
Almuth Schult, a symbol of the future, is the number one keeper for the European Champions League winner and German Champion, VfL Wolfsburg. And she is also the successor of Nadine Angerer in the German National team.
In third place on 45 points was another German Nadine Angerer, who was the 2013 FIFA World Player of he Year. The much travelled Angerer has played for Brisbane Roar in the Australian W League and Portland Thorns in the USA.
Tinja-Riikka Korpela, the national goalkeeper of Finland, took a great fourth place for her performances with Tyresö FF (European Champions League finalist) and with Fc Bayern München, the new outsider in the Womens Bundesliga. Another steady performance came from fifth placed Sarah Bouhaddi (28), the goalkeeper for Olympique Lyon and the past five years for the French National team.
RANKING 2014
1 – Hope SOLO (USA / Seattle Reign FC) and Almuth SCHULT (Germany/VFL Wolfsburg) 110 points
3 – Nadine ANGERER (Germany / Brisbane Roar / Portland Thorns) 45 points
4 – Tinja-Riikka KORPELA (Finland / Tyresö FF / FC Bayern München) 36 points
5 – Sarah BOUHADDI (France / Olympique Lyon) 28 points
6 – Hedvid LINDHAL (Sweden / FC Rosengaard) 20 points
7 – Andréia SUNTAQUE (Brasil / Portugesa) and Ingrid HJELMSETH (Norway / Stabaek) 12 points
9 – Sandra MILENA (Colombia / Formas Intimas) 6 points
10 – Ayumi KAIHORI (Japan / Inac Kobe Leonessa) 5 points
