Crystal Dunn named CONCACAF Women's Player of the Year

Rockville Centre native Crystal Dunn, a World Cup champion in 2019, was named the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football Women’s Player of the Year.

Coaches and players in the region, as well as media members, selected the 29-year-old left back for her efforts on both the United States Women’s National Team and the National Women’s Soccer League’s Portland Thorns. Dunn helped the national team on its way to the bronze medal in the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo and won the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup.

Dunn played for the Lady Cyclones of South Side High School, leading the team to state titles in 2006, 2007 and 2009, amassing 46 goals and 35 assists. Of her many memorable performances for “Lady Cyc”, maybe none stand out more than her four-goal game in the 2009 state championship, netting a hat trick within the first 20 minutes of the match.

“I’m here to let other women who look like me know that their dreams matter and their dreams are achievable,” Dunn said in a video released on the CONCACAF Twitter account. “That’s the beauty of this game. That’s why I play.”