Orange County FC forward Alessandro Canale has been selected as the eighteenth Mitre National Player of the Week for the 2017 NPSL season.
“I know that this award is always a difficult decision as the NPSL has a very talented pool of players,” Canale added. “It’s an honor to be nominated and much more to win this award. I am dedicating this achievement to my teammates, who have been there with me and for me this season. This would not have been possible without this youthful group. I want to thank the OCFC family and the NPSL for providing a platform for myself and many others to continue to play the game we love while pushing for the next step.”
Canale contributed five goals and three assists in a win over City of Angels FC. He currently has 18 goals and 11 assists on the season.
“It’s an honor to have an OCFC player named as the Mitre National Player of the Week,” Orange County FC head coach Paul Caligiuri added. “The award could not have been given to a better choice than Alessandro Canale. Alessandro is a big-time player with massive skills that allows him to be very creative and compliments his teammates around him.”
The Santa Monica, California native spent time at both Santa Monica College and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Canale tallied 24 goals and eight assists for the Corsairs to earn Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2012.
He was named NSCAA All-West Region Third Team and All-CCAA Honorable Mention after contributing five goals and three assists in 2013, helping UCSD into the third round of the playoffs. He was a team co-captain for the Tritons in 2014, contributing two goals and five assists before suffering a season-ending injury.
Canale has also become a regular with the U.S. Beach Soccer National Team, appearing in all three group matches of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Tahiti 2013. In the summer of 2014, he also played for the U.S. in a tournament in Portugal and an exhibition match versus Brazil.
In addition, he gained experience with the NPSL’s San Diego Flash.
The winner of this national honor is determined by a vote of media members from across the country. It is awarded every week during the regular season.
