All-USL: who's going above and beyond in 2023?
Assessing the league's best at the not-quite-midway mark
Somewhere between the one-third and midway points of the USL season, it’s time to start pondering the players that deserve recognition in 2023. The year is still young, but the playoff races are crystallizing and the consistent stars of the campaign are really beginning to shine through.
I don’t claim that this list is definitive, and I’m beholden to recency and personal bias. Still, every name acknowledged here is worth watching. The talent across the USL is something to behold.
First Team
Danny Vitiello (GK, Sacramento)
Vitiello is the league leader in goals against per game at 0.54, anchoring one of the stingiest defenses in recent USL memory. Sacramento rarely errs at the back, but Vitiello is reactive enough on his line to negate the occasional mistake. Second in Goals Saved Above Expected, he’s the factor that makes this unit elite rather than someone riding on Sacramento’s collective coattails.
Jack Gurr (RB, Sacramento)
The Republic system is so impressive because it works both ways. This club leads the USL in goals scored and allowed, and no player better represents that dual brilliance than Jack Gurr. The wing back has three goals and three assists, but the way in which he opens space with his over- and underlapping movement is more crucial still. Gurr’s effortful defensive tracking to maintain the deep 5-4-1 also make him a standout.
Arturo Ordonez (CB, Pittsburgh)
With almost eight defensive actions per game and a tackle win rate hovering around 70%, Arturo Ordonez is the anchor of the East’s best defense. The center man in a back three, Ordonez is both a clearing centerfielder in the box and a marauding destroyer capable of stepping into the midfield. His poise is remarkable for a second-year pro.
Lamar Batista (CB, San Antonio)
Signed on a 25-day contract at the start of the season, Batista announced himself with a brace on his debut and never looked back. His athleticism enables him to sweep up danger as a wide center back in the San Antonio back three, and he’s ruthlessly efficient dispensing with foes. Amidst a spate of early-season injuries, Batista’s stabilizing effect for the champs can’t be understated.
Patrick Seagrist (LB, Colorado Springs)
Used as a full back or wing back depending on the team’s shape, Patrick Seagrist is one of the most complete players in the league. He leads Colorado Springs’ regulars in defensive actions per match, but his threat as a crosser on the overlap is still lethal. Seagrist does a little bit of everything, and he does it all at a high level.
Aaron Molloy (CM, Memphis)
Only one player in the USL has created more shots for his teammates than Aaron Molloy, the anchor of the Memphis double pivot. Need someone to drop between the center backs and play quarterback in build? Looking to maximize your set-piece danger? Want a long-range shot to stun the opposition? Molloy has it all in his arsenal.
Luis Felipe (CM, Sacramento)
Whether sitting in the pivot of a deep 5-4-1, making a late run into the box to score (he’s got four goals this year), or spraying passes somewhere between the two extremes, Luis Felipe has been the best player in the USL in 2023. His positioning is tremendous, especially in the press and counterpress, but every single move that the midfielder makes bolsters Sacramento across the board.
Denys Kostyshyn (AM, El Paso)
Did I call my shot on Kostyshyn halfway into El Paso’s second game? Yep. Is he objectively worthy of an all-USL shout? No doubt. The Ukrainian winger has created more chances than any other player in an elite Locomotive side, and his ability to drop deep while interchanging with the right back and then spray a switch is just as impressive as that quality in the final third; Kostyshyn also leads the team in shots by a full 10 attempts. He’s got a maturity and intelligence rarely seen in the USL.
Charlie Dennis (AM, Tampa Bay)
Good as a central ball-mover last season, Dennis has exploded as one of the premier No. 10s in the USL in 2023. He leads the league in key passes, but he’s just as often found swapping spots with the striker in the final third to open up space. Dennis is astute at dropping into holes to make himself a line-breaking outlet, allowing him to turn and engage those elite dribbling skills. He’s a special one, and it’s showing for the Rowdies.
Russell Cicerone (AM, Sacramento)
Tied for the lead in goals while swapping between the No. 9 spot and a wing role, Russell Cicerone is the man to punctuate the Republic attack. He’s lethal as a shooter from all distances, and he uses that threat to draw opponents in and beat them on the dribble or feed open teammates to the tune of three assists. What other Golden Boot contender is going to drop into his own third to support behind a wing back with regularity?
Albert Dikwa (FW, Pittsburgh)
Co-Golden Boot leader, Dikwa has scored nearly half of his team’s goals. He often anchors the tip of a one-man forward line in the press, crunching center backs with aplomb and fronting an elite defense. Want more? Dikwa’s a plus header of the ball, is crucial involving the midfield via hold-up, and capably operates in a strike pair. He’s taken the leap to be a real MVP candidate in 2023, and it isn’t just the scoring that’s doing it.
Second Team
Paul Blanchette (GK, Oakland)
The Roots have evolved their tactical system in 2023, but their aggressive style is only possible because of Paul Blanchette. No goalkeeper in the USL has saved more shot attempts, nor has any goalkeeper prevented more goals above expectation. Blanchette isn’t necessarily a graceful-looking sweeper, but it feels like he steps up for a high-leverage clearance at least once a game. He’s an underrated master in net.
Nick Moon (RB, San Diego)
Playing on the right or left as matchup and health dictate, Nick Moon is the most important player in the San Diego system. With more tackles attempted than any other Loyal player, Moon is crucial in the press, always clamping down in a way that leverages the sideline as an extra man. Though he only has one goal and two assists, the wing back is still a wicked crosser, and his ability to drop in and grease the wheels of build-up deserves note as well.
Michael Bryant (CB, Detroit)
In a team with an embarrassment of riches in defense, Michael Bryant is a standout. This is a player that could play as a No. 10 if need be, but he instead has excelled as the right-sided center back in the Detroit back three. Bryant has played every minute this year, combining a midfielder’s vision as a passer with a keen ability to cut out passes into the channel defensively.
Shane Wiedt (CB, Sacramento)
With apologies to Jared Timmer and Conor Donovan, Shane Wiedt gets the nod as the Republic center back in my team of the season. Playing on the left side of the back three, Wiedt backs up a left side with a somewhat uncertain wing back spot and the aggressive wing play of Russell Cicerone. The former Riverhound leads his team in interceptions, and he also boasts a 68% aerial win percentage and 77% tackle win rate. His ball carriage around opposing presses is invaluable as well.
Akeem Ward (LB, Memphis)
901 FC shines because of their offensive flow, but it wouldn’t be possible without the width Ward provides. He’s the team’s leading crosser, and he stretches opponents in a way that allows a shape with two inverted wingers to click. What’s more, Ward has put in more interceptions and tackle attempts than any other Memphis defender, including reigning all-USL center back Graham Smith. Sporting a ceaseless motor, the full back is shining on Beale Street.
Carlos Harvey (CM, Phoenix)
Best known as “that red card guy” in Los Angeles, Harvey has channeled that aggression into 88th percentile duel wins per game and a penchant for raging full-field dribbles in 2023. He’s a monster with a head of steam, but the Panamanian can also sit between the center backs and help to power build-out with grace. Harvey pops shots from distance with discretion and knows when to crash into the box, and that offensive height makes him an effective counterpresser to boot. He’s elevating his game across the board.
Danny Griffin (CM, Pittsburgh)
A midseason pick-up for the Riverhounds, Griffin has hit the ground running and then some upon his return to the Steel City. Used as something between a No. 8 and No. 10, Griffin’s positioning without the ball single-handedly clogs the center of the park for foes. He can still put in a neat tackle, and he does so efficiently, but the manner in which Griffin connects with his teammates on give-and-go moves and runs of Albert Dikwa is more exceptional still. Pittsburgh’s goal difference with Griffin on the pitch is 1.6 goals higher than without him, and that says it all.
Alex Dixon (AM, Monterey)
The choice between Alex Dixon and Sam Gleadle at this spot was devilish. Gleadle, a beast in transition with a wonderful defensive work rate and a better passing range than Dixon, loses out for having only made 10 appearances versus 14 for the former Riverhound. Don’t let the debate lessen #15’s quality. He has eight goals, one of the league lead, and he constantly fills the channels and works off of the Monterey No. 9 to create danger. Dixon is this team’s best operator in the final third and boasts underrated control with the ball, and he has turned a defensive bubble side into a complete, playoff-level unit.
Enzo Martinez (AM, Birmingham)
Five goals and two assists say a lot about Martinez’s contributions but fail to capture the totality of his brilliance. No player is more audacious and clever with the ball at his feet in crowded areas. He’s a solid mover in the 4-2-4 press, and he can move from striker to the central midfield without missing so much as a beat. The Legion’s up-and-down season has always starred Martinez in the brightest moments.
Ryan Spaulding (AM, Tampa Bay)
A late arriver on loan from New England, Spaulding has emerged as a premier wide player with immediacy in the USL. He tracks back with surprising ease to defend as the left wing back in a five-player defense, but he provides as much spark at the sideline as any proper winger out there; Spauling is tied for the league lead in assists already! It speaks to his intelligence that he hit the ground running in a complex Rowdies system, immediately forging chemistry with the Tampa Bay attack and making them whole after a slow start.
Lucho Solignac (FW, El Paso)
When a striker hits 32 years old, you wouldn’t expect them to enjoy a renaissance atop a fluid 4-4-2. Solignac bucks that trend, constantly interchanging with a second striker or advancing winger to make himself available as El Paso’s crucial cog in hold-up. Lest we forget, “Lucho” also has eight goals on just 26 attempts, showing a longstanding ability to get into the box and make things look oh-so-simple as a poacher.
Honorable Mentions
I’d be remiss not to mention the next set of players that nearly made the list, and I’ll include seven to make a full bench.
Nate Steinwascher (GK, Detroit) is the glaring cut in net, and he’s third in goals saved above expectation. In the back line, Connor Maloney (FB, San Antonio) nearly got the shout as the best transition player and wide-to-center intervenor out there, while Danny Barbir (CB, Oakland) deserves a universe of admiration for his clean tackling and offensive contributions in the opposing half.
Further up, how can Maxi Rodriguez (CM, Detroit) skirt mention? He leads his side in shots created and shots taken while being the main man in build; similar argument for Jack Blake (CM, Indy), whose box-to-box brilliance has turned into a lovely reinvention as wing back. Prosper Kasim (AM, Birmingham) is the long-term face of the Legion, variably used on either wing and equally successful no matter his deployment. He’s got four assists and is the best player in the USL at linking with advancing full backs.
One more striker to laud, and that’s Augustine Williams (FW, Charleston). Williams’ seven goals come on both feet and from inside and outside the box. He’s astute in the channels and constantly claims the ball on long restarts. He, as with the rest of this group, was an impossible cut.
By the Numbers
In analyzing my 22 all-USL picks by Goals Above Replacement (GAR), a measure of performance, it becomes clear that most of my picks are high-end players in the data model. 19 of the player are in the 80th percentile or above in terms of value this season.
Two of the exceptions make sense. Ryan Spaulding (712 minutes) and Danny Griffin (508 minutes) haven’t even hit the eight-game mark yet, so the acretive model of value is naturally going to rate them a shade lower.
Shane Wiedt is the other question mark. He ranks in the 69th percentile for GAR this season thanks to low-ranking offensive contributions and modest defensive interventions. My model, built on limited public data, is bad at valuing a player’s contributions in the build-out phase as compared to more concrete shot creation, so Wiedt suffers. He also doesn’t put in a ton of tackles, excelling because of great positioning instead.
What would GAR say in terms of a Best XI?
There’s lots of overlap here, but a few new inclusions stand out. Kalil ElMedkhar has shined as one of the USL’s best two-way wingers with Loudoun, pitching in three goals and assists a piece. Deshane Beckford is tied for the league lead in assists on the right for Colorado Springs; Milan Iloski is only one behind him there, and he’s got five goals for Orange County to boot.
Taylor Davila has been a breakout for Rio Grande Valley in a box-to-box role, almost serving as a second striker at times and constantly creating danger. Behind him, Fabien Garcia steps up next to a teammate at center back. There are flashier players, but Garcia is a real safety net in defense. Finally, Amadou Dia starts at left back. He was the hardest cut in my actual list, leading Louisville in key passes as a defender while also contributing to a possessive back three.
The data can only tell you so much, and it’s bent towards players like a Davila or Garcia that do a lot. Soccer is more complicated than that, and what a player does away from the ball matters. There’s always room for debate, but a proper perspective ought to integrate both sources of information.