They nearly did the job last season, and they've added one of the USL's most prolific no. You've seen my conference picks in the standings, but who wins it all? This feels like Louisville City's year. Formally, I'm throwing my hat in the ring for two Orange County players: attacker Korede Osundina and wingback Alex Villanueva. If Fidel Barajas, a dual Mexican-American international for Charleston, or Luca Sowinski, a Barca Academy product for Tulsa, earns starter-ish minutes, they'll be front runners. Marshall's recent title team put all 11 starters into the pros! CPL-wise, look out for Phoenix centerback Daniel Krutzen and fullbacks Kwame Awuah for Loudoun (technically from NEXT Pro, but sue me) and Brett Levis for Tulsa.įor the obvious: Josh Wynder is going to get sold and therefore won't win this award, but I have to mention him. That's Birmingham's Gabriel Alves and Tulsa's Milo Yosef in one lane. More broadly, I'll shout out (1) everyone from Marshall and (2) CPL defenders. Owen Lambe's move from LA Galaxy II to Orange County is at once rich with irony and highly astute. I think Tristan Trager was exceptional with Atlanta United 2 last season after his midseason debut, and he'll kill it in Charleston's refreshed system. I think Dylan Mares' move to Louisville City will define the season to a large degree, and I haven't shown enough love to Louisville across the award slate might they feel stale to the voting body? The aforementioned Danny Trejo stands out, as does his teammate Fede Varela as Trejo's complementary no. I have a few strains of thought in this informal category. How about a Mark Lowry nod that doubles as an early lifetime achievement award? Even with a rebound, I think Juan Guerra needs two good years in Phoenix to earn it. This is another category where it's hard to repeat Adrian Heath was the last to do it more than a decade ago. If Taintor-for-MVP presents a makeup narrative, the same applies to Alen Marcina for Coach of the Year if San Antonio keeps up their level. The sly pick for me is Yannik Oettl in Indy he excelled on loan with Hartford last year and could drive a rebounding side. Nate Steinwascher might be the favorite if he keeps up his 2022 level and maintains playoff status in the Motor City, and Connor Sparrow has the narrative after moving to Tampa Bay. No goalkeeper has ever repeated as Goalkeeper of the Year, so Jordan Farr - who, without a doubt, is the best netminder in the USL - feels unlikely. Any one else to look out for? Phanuel Kavita is my shout in a perennially good Birmingham back line. Let's cut to the chase: Forrest Lasso won this award in 2018, 2020, and 2021 and will reputation his way into the mix. This was Mitchell Taintor's title going away last season I filled out my all-league ballot with Sean Totsch, Jonny Dean, and Connor Maloney. Taintor feels viable as something of a makeup pick, but this is functionally "Attacker of the Year." Fernandes has an uphill battle to get a repeat win as he likely moves to a setup role. I would shout out Danny Trejo and Phillip Goodrum as two sensible options if their teams finish strong and they sit near Golden Boot range. There's clearly a distinction between my evaluation of importance and the sensibility of voters. I voted for Rodrigo Lopez with Mitchell Taintor as the runner-up and Alejandro Guido rounding out the top three. Leo Fernandes took home the headline award in 2022, edging out Aaron Molloy and Hadji Barry. At an individual level, who ought to come home with hardware at the end of the season? Who's being overlooked? I offer up some suggestions and superlatives.
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