The USL Championship announced the Team of the Week for Week 20 of the 2024 regular season today, with Phoenix Rising FC defender Pape Mar Boye being named to the starting 11 and Renzo Zambrano earning an honorable mention for their roles in a 2-0 win vs. El Paso on July 19.
Rhode Island FC midfielder Zach Herivaux was voted the Championship Player of the Week presented by Konami eFootball after he recorded the first two-goal performance of his career in the Championship to lead RIFC to victory away to Birmingham Legion FC last Wednesday night.
The Haitian international was acquired by Rhode Island on July 3 via transfer from fellow Championship club the Tampa Bay Rowdies and was making just his third appearance for the club as he came on as a second-half substitute against Legion – a club he had made 79 appearances for across two stints earlier in his career.
Herivaux took only five minutes to make an impact, scoring his first goal of the season in the 68th minute to put Rhode Island ahead, and he then added a second with a superb strike from outside the penalty area with 13 minutes to go to seal all three points for the visitors at Protective Stadium. The result moved RIFC’s undefeated streak to six games as the first-year club moved into the playoff positions in the Eastern Conference.
Herivaux earned 63 percent of the ballot to claim the award. Charleston Battery forward Nick Markanich finished second on 25 percent after recording his fourth multi-goal performance of the season, scoring both goals in the Battery’s 2-0 win against Miami FC last Friday night to move to 18 goals this season – currently the most in men’s professional domestic soccer in 2024.
The Championship’s Player of the Week is selected by the USL National Media Panel, which is made up of representatives from each media market in the Championship.
USL Championship Team of the Week – Week 20 GK – Tomás Gómez, Orange County SC: Arriving on loan from Real Salt Lake during the week, Gómez posted the 38th shutout of his career in the Championship with a four-save performance in OCSC’s 2-0 victory against San Antonio FC.
D – Mark Segbers, Charleston Battery: The veteran right back provided the assist on the Battery’s opening goal in their 2-0 win against Miami FC and had two chances created overall while winning 6 of 8 duels and making six recoveries defensively at Patriots Point.
D – Pape Mar Boye, Phoenix Rising FC: The 20-year-old center back scored the first goal of his professional career to cap Rising’s 2-0 victory against El Paso Locomotive FC and completed 75 of 82 passes while winning 4 of 5 aerial duels and making three clearances defensively.
D – Owen Lambe, Orange County SC: The 23-year-old full back recorded his second goal of the season in OCSC’s 2-0 victory against San Antonio FC as part of an all-around display that saw him complete 35 of 42 passes and make four clearances and one interception.
M – Nick Ross, Sacramento Republic FC: The Scottish midfielder recorded one goal and one assist in Republic FC’s 5-2 victory against NorCal rival Oakland Roots SC while also winning 5 of 5 tackles, 8 of 14 duels and making seven recoveries defensively.
M – Zach Herivaux, Rhode Island FC: The Haitian international recorded the first two-goal game of his career as he lifted RIFC to a 3-1 victory on the road against Birmingham Legion FC after being brought on as a halftime substitute, and also completed 13 of 15 passes and won 5 of 8 duels.
M – Taylor Davila, Louisville City FC: The 23-year-old had a strong all-around performance, capped by the assist on Sean Totsch’s stoppage-time winner against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, in which he notched five chances created, four shots, completed 34 of 38 passes and won 6 of 9 duels.
M – Lewis Hilton, Tampa Bay Rowdies: The Rowdies veteran notched the assist on the side’s opening goal in a 2-0 victory against Indy Eleven and completed 31 of 38 passes while winning 3 of 3 tackles and 4 of 5 duels in the center of midfield.
F – Nick Markanich, Charleston Battery: The Golden Boot leader recorded his fifth multi-goal game of the season with a pair of goals in the Battery’s 2-0 victory against Miami FC and completed 39 of 41 passes while recording seven shots and two chances created overall.
F – Kieran Phillips, Sacramento Republic FC: The English forward recorded a pair of goals on four shots in Republic FC’s 5-2 victory against Oakland Roots SC while also notching one chance created at Pioneer Stadium.
F – Johnny Rodriguez, Oakland Roots SC: The Roots veteran continued his strong run of recent form with a pair of goals in Roots’ defeat to Sacramento while also completing 13 of 18 passes and winning 2 of 3 tackles and 9 of 16 duels.
Coach – Mark Briggs, Sacramento Republic FC: Briggs’ squad recorded its first five-goal performance in more than a calendar year as it took a 5-2 victory against NorCal rival Oakland Roots SC as Republic FC remained undefeated on the road this season.
Bench – Alex Tambakis (NM), Sean Totsch (LOU), Jared Timmer (SAC), Renzo Zambrano (PHX), Stephen Turnbull (RI), Edward Kizza (PIT), Noah Fuson (RI)
