Brisbane Roar has a contender for FIFA World Player of the Year within their ranks in Westfield W-League goalkeeper Nadine Angerer.
Brisbane Roar has a contender for FIFA World Player of the Year within their ranks after Westfield W-League goalkeeper Nadine Angerer was named on the shortlist for the coveted Ballon d-Or award over the weekend.
Angerer is one of ten players chosen by experts from FIFA-s Committee for Women-s Football and FIFA Women-s World Cup.
Fellow names on the shortlist include five-time winner and three-time runner-up Marta (Brazil), 2013 Bundesliga top scorer Yuki Ogimi (Japan) and the USA-s Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach.
The shortlist for the men-s equivalent of the award include Real Madrid-s Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, four-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Sweden and Manchester United star Robin van Persie.
Last month, the Germany captain was also named UEFA Female Footballer of the Year after she led her country to a victory at the UEFA Women-s Euros 2013, saving two penalties in the final and named Player of the Tournament.
Angerer has joined the two-time Westfield W-League Champions ahead of the upcoming campaign which kicks off next Saturday against Canberrra United at AJ Kelly Park, Kippa-Ring.
She admits to enjoying her new life in Australia and has even trained alongside the Hyundai A-League squad in her preparations.
“I’ve been there for four weeks and I’ve settled in really well,” Angerer said at the 41st annual German Football Association (DFB) awards ceremony last week.
“I had a lot of big decisions to make over the summer and that was one of my best.”
In early December, FIFA will announce the names of the three women and three men, as well as the three coaches for women-s football and three coaches for men-s football, who have received the most votes (without unveiling the winners).
The winners of the FIFA Ballon d-Or will be revealed on 13 January 2014.
Women-s shortlist for the FIFA Ballon d-Or 2013 Nadine Angerer (Germany), Nilla Fischer (Sweden), Lena Goessling (Germany), Saki Kumagai (Japan), Marta (Brazil), Alex Morgan (USA), Yuki Ogimi (Japan), Lotta Schelin (Sweden), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Abby Wambach (USA).