Sacramento Republic’s Hayden Sargis USL Championship Young Player of the Year finalist

Hayden Sargis was voted Sacramento Republic’s Defender of the Year here on Indomitable City Soccer, and the love extends beyond Sacramento, with the defender announced on Thursday as a finalist for the 2020 USL Championship Young Player of the Year award.

Sargis joins San Antonio FC forward Jose Gallegos and Sporting Kansas City II forward Wilson Harris as finalists for the honor. Harris recently signed an MLS deal with Sporting KC, and Gallegos is considered a rising star as a playmaker.

But Sargis is younger than the other two, at 18, and slotting into the starting lineup for a playoff team like Sac Republic in his first professional season is certainly impressive, especially at such a crucial position like center back.

All told, Sargis made 15 appearances in 2020 for Republic FC, 93 percent of regular-season availability, and played the most minutes on the roster, and his completed passes put him in the top 10 leaguewide for the season.

The winner of the award will be announced next Thursday, and voting is already closed — full disclosure, I’m a member of the voting panel and the votes were collected before the playoffs began. Regardless, Sargis definitely deserves dap for a stellar rookie season, and here’s hoping he continues to push on in his development.

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