USL release fans’ choice mid-season awards with notable omissions

Late yesterday, the United Soccer League (USL) released their 2018 Fans’ Choice USL Mid-season Awards. There are a number of category’s including MVP, Goalkeeper of the Year, Coach of the Year, Defender of the Year and Young Player of the Year. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, or you’d like to vote, we encourage you to do so here.

I was surprised to not see Republic FC keeper Josh Cohen in the top five Goalkeeper of the Year list given his play this season. Consider that Cohen is second in the USL in saves (63), has a save percentage of 75 and is tied for seventh in clean sheets with six (only three behind Daniel Lynd from Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC who leads with nine).

How many matches has Cohen saved for the Republic? Is it fair to say three of four? On top of that, how many matches has he kept the Quails in it so that they were able to scratch a point or go ahead?

With all due respect to Maxime Crépeau from Ottawa Fury FC, it’s difficult for me to understand how he’s put ahead of a guy like Cohen who has nearly 20 more saves, an equal save percentage, but two less clean sheets. Yes, Cohen has started four more games than Crépeau, but the biggest difference in my mind is that Cohen’s team sits fourth in the Western Conference Table, while Ottawa sits twelfth in the Eastern Conference Table.

I was also slightly surprised not to see Cameron Iwasa’s name on the MVP list. Similar to Tom Enevoldsen from Orange County SC (who is on this list, and deservedly so), both are tied for first in the USL with nine goals to go along with four assists. Additionally, he has recorded two braces in the last two weeks, and his work on the field when he doesn’t have the ball (as pointed out by Manager Simon Elliott on several occasions) is first-rate.

To illustrate how important Iwasa has been for the Republic, Christian Eissele is second on the Quails with three goals. I guess my question is this...where would the Quails be without him? For all these reasons, he should be in the MVP conversation.

What do you think? Was Cohen or Iwasa snubbed? Or did the folks at the USL get it right? Sound off in the comment section below!