USL PRO News Release
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
TAMPA, Fla. – USL PRO named its Team of the Week for Week 7 of the 2014 season on Tuesday as Charleston Battery goalkeeper Odisnel Cooper was named Player of the Week after he recorded a pair of shutouts in the Battery’s two road wins during the weekend.
Cooper recorded eight saves in the two victories including six saves in a 2-0 win against the Dayton Dutch Lions on Sunday night. The Cuba native made a number of important stops with the game still scoreless against the Dutch Lions, which paved the way for the Battery to claim victory and jump to fourth place in the USL PRO standings.
Joining Cooper on the Team of the Week is forward Omar Salgado, who had a goal in each of the Battery’s victories. The Vancouver Whitecaps FC loanee opened the scoring in Charleston’s 4-0 win against Harrisburg on Friday night as he deftly chipped a finish home, and then powered home the Battery’s second goal against Dayton to wrap up all three points late.
Orlando’s Dennis Chin and Sacramento’s Adam Jahn were also named to the Team of the Week’s forward line as Chin continued his strong run of form for the Lions with a pair of goals in a 3-1 win against OKC Energy FC on Sunday. Jahn had his second goal in as many appearances for Republic FC, which lifted his side to a 2-1 win against the Orange County Blues FC on Saturday night.
Last week’s USL PRO Player of the Week Kevin Molino earned a second consecutive Team of the Week selection after his pair of assists helped Orlando past Oklahoma City, and he is joined in the midfield by a pair of players from Arizona United SC. Kadeem Dacres and Bradlee Baladez both earned selection after their goals earned United a 2-1 win against the Charlotte Eagles. The quartet is completed by Richmond’s George Davis IV, whose late goal earned a point for the Kickers in a 1-1 draw against Rochester.
Rochester defender Kyle Hoffer leads a trio along the back line after he put in a pair of solid performances as the Rhinos took a pair of draws on the road in Richmond and Wilmington. The Hammerheads’ Ashani Fairclough was also named as he played a key role in limiting the Rhinos’ opportunities in a scoreless draw on Saturday night, while Orange County’s Rauwshan McKenzie rounds out the side after a solid performance for the Blues in Sacramento.
The 2014 USL PRO season continues on Thursday night as the Charlotte Eagles visit the Orange County Blues FC with both teams looking to bounce back from defeats in their last outings. Friday night sees Arizona United SC hit the road for the first time as they visit the Richmond Kickers, while the Pittsburgh Riverhounds play host to Orlando City at Highmark Stadium.
Saturday night brings five contests, including the opening game of a home-and-home series between the Charleston Battery and Wilmington Hammerheads at Blackbaud Stadium. The Dayton Dutch Lions are set to open their new home at DOC Field as the LA Galaxy II visit Ohio, while the Rochester Rhinos will try to avenge their only loss of the season as Orlando City visits Sahlen’s Stadium.
Every game of the 2014 USL PRO season can be seen live on YouTube, with live updates also available via Twitter (@USLPRO), Facebook and Google+. Stay up to date with news, previews and match reports from throughout the league via USLPROSoccer.com.
USL PRO Team of the Week
Honorable Mention – Arizona: Matt Kassel, Scott Morrison; Charleston: Andre Lewis, Mamadou Diouf; Charlotte: Drew Yates, Jorge Herrera; Dayton: Ryan Finley, Aaron Schoenfeld; Harrisburg: Yann Ekra; Oklahoma City: Philip Lund, Kyle Greig; Orange County: Allan Russell, Jiovanni Santana; Orlando: Yordany Alvarez, Justin Clark; Richmond: Conor Shanosky, Collin Martin; Rochester: John McCarthy, Tyler Rosenlund; Sacramento: Thomas Stewart, Nemanja Vukovic; Wilmington: Quillan Roberts, Tom Parratt.