Renan Ribeiro has been named a finalist for the 2024 Goalkeeper of the Year Award. He is the second Hartford goalie to be a finalist for this award, following Jeff Caldwell’s nomination in 2021.
Ribeiro had a stellar season in goal for the Green and Blue, showcasing incredible shot stopping ability in his first year in American soccer. He finished the season tied for the most saves in the Championship with 102, coming just six short of the single-season club record set by Caldwell in 2021. He held the second-best save percentage in the league at 78% (minimum 15 games played) on his way to the top of the saves ladder, and added seven clean sheets. Four of those shutouts came consecutively across Hartford’s record-setting seven-match undefeated streak, a significant contribution to the club’s ascension up the Eastern Conference table in the second half of the season.
Results for the 2024 Goalkeeper of the Year will be announced on November 19th.
USL Championship Announces 2024 Awards Finalists
Leading players, coaches during regular season nominated across five categories
TAMPA, Fla. – The USL Championship announced on Thursday the finalists for the 2024 USL Championship Awards, with the leading performers in five categories earning nominations after outstanding 2024 regular season campaigns. The award winners will be announced between Tuesday, November 19 and Saturday, November 23.
Four Awards finalists will be part of this weekend’s Eastern and Western Conference Finals of the 2024 USL Championship Playoffs with Charleston Battery’s Graham Smith (Defender of the Year) and Nick Markanich (Player of the Year), Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC’s Matt Mahoney (Defender of the Year) and Las Vegas Lights FC’s Dennis Sanchez (Coach of the Year) all set to participate.
The Charleston Battery will host Rhode Island FC in the Eastern Conference Final at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+, while Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC will host Las Vegas Lights FC at Weidner Field at 9 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Golazo Network. Both games will also be aired live on SiriusXM FC.
The 2024 USL Championship Awards were voted on by team management and a league-wide media panel that included representation from every USL market.
2024 USL Championship Award Finalists
2024 Goalkeeper of the Year Finalists – Winner announced Tuesday, Nov. 19
Eric Dick, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC – An offseason arrival from Minnesota United FC, Dick starred for the Hounds throughout the season. He earned the Golden Glove with a league-best 0.69 goals-against average, recorded 68 saves at a 79.1% save percentage, tied for the league-lead with 14 shutouts, and posted a 10.44 Goals Prevented mark, allowing only 18 tallies on an Expected Goals on Target Conceded mark of 28.44xGOTC, as the goalkeeper for the stingiest defense in the regular season.
Renan Ribeiro, Hartford Athletic – The Brazilian made an immediate impact for Hartford upon his arrival, auguring positive things to come at Trinity Health Stadium. Ribeiro tied for the league-lead with 102 saves in the regular season, averaging 3.89 saves per 90 minutes, while posting a save percentage of 76.3 percent and a Goals Prevented mark of 5.76 as he recorded seven shutouts.
Danny Vitiello, Sacramento Republic FC – A finalist for the second consecutive year, Vitiello continued to excel for Republic FC as the side conceded the fewest goals in the Western Conference during the regular season. Vitiello tied for the league lead with 14 shutouts and recorded 88 saves at a save percentage of 74.6 percent, while also recording a 5.97 Goals Prevented mark over the course of the campaign.
2024 Defender of the Year Finalists – Winner announced Wednesday, Nov. 20
Jack Gurr, Sacramento Republic FC – The Republic FC wingback is nominated for a second consecutive year after playing an essential role in his side’s success as a two-way performer. Sacramento averaged 1.5 goals per game when Gurr appeared, and only 0.6 per game when he was absent, as he recorded a career-best eight assists on 52 chances created while also recording 27 tackles at a 65.9 percent success rate and 20 interceptions defensively.
Matt Mahoney, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC – Mahoney was the lone outfield player to play every minute of the regular season as he featured prominently in the Switchbacks’ highest finish in the Western Conference as he led the Championship with 68 interceptions and ranked fifth in clearances with 135 while also winning 28 tackles at a 73.7 percent success rate, recording 29 blocks and making 169 recoveries during the regular season.
Graham Smith, Charleston Battery – The veteran center back starred for one of the best defenses in the Championship’s regular season after his offseason arrival in Charleston. Smith ranked second in the league with 152 clearances and 113 aerial duels won at a success rate of 75.8 percent and third in the league with 1,804 passes completed at an 86.8 percent accuracy rate while also recording 28 blocks, 21 tackles at a 77.8 percent success rate and 159 duels won at a 72 percent success rate.
2024 Coach of the Year Finalists – Winner announced Thursday, Nov. 21
Danny Cruz, Louisville City FC – In his third full season as LouCity’s manager, Cruz oversaw the most successful regular season campaign in club history, and one of the best in the USL Championship all-time. Louisville set single-season records for home wins, taking 16 wins out of 17 at Lynn Family Stadium in the regular season, and home goals with 58 while also equaling the league’s overall single-season wins record with 24 as it ended the campaign on 76 points and having scored 86 goals, ranking fourth and second respectively in the league’s regular season history.
Eric Quill, New Mexico United – In his first full season in New Mexico, Quill led the club to unprecedented success as it finished top of the Western Conference, the first top-four finish United had earned in his six-season history. New Mexico set club records with 18 victories – and led the Western Conference with 11 home wins in the regular season – and 59 points as Quill’s possession-oriented system and flexible in-game tactical adjustments helped guide the squad to success.
Dennis Sanchez, Las Vegas Lights FC – Taking the helm at a club which won only three times in 2023, and with an entirely new squad to work with, Sanchez guided the Lights past some early ups-and-downs to the first postseason berth in club history and a fourth-place finish in the Western Conference. The Lights’ 31-point improvement year-on-year ranked tied for second in the USL Championship’s history as the side set club single-season records in wins (13) and points (50) while allowing the fewest goals in a full regular season in its history.
2024 Young Player of the Year Finalists – Winner announced Friday, Nov. 22
Pape Mar Boye, Phoenix Rising FC – The 20-year-old rookie impressed immediately upon his arrival in the professional ranks after turning pro with Rising last December following winning the College Cup with Clemson. Voted to the USL Championship All-League Second Team, Boye ranked third in minutes played among Young Player-eligible candidates with 2,480 minutes of action while his 119 clearances were the most in the group as he also notched 31 interceptions, won 83 aerial duels and posted a passing accuracy rate of 86.2 percent on 1,449 completed passes.
Ray Serrano, Louisville City FC – The 22-year-old had a standout third campaign with Louisville City as he led all eligible Young Player of the Year candidates with 13 goal contributions, notching eight goals and five assists as he appeared in every game of the regular season, logging 2,383 minutes of action. Serrano recorded 55 chances created as he tied for third in the league with 15 big chances created and ranked eighth in the league with a 6.35 Expected Assists mark, with his all-around play ranking him fourth in the league in American Soccer Analysis Goals Added metric at a +9.50 rating, the highest of any LouCity player.
Elijah Wynder, Louisville City FC – The 21-year-old LouCity Academy graduate came to the fore with his hometown club, serving as an essential piece in central midfield as Louisville won its first Players’ Shield. Wynder ranked second in minutes played among Young Player-eligible players with 2,781 minutes of action and recorded a career-best six goals and 23 chances created. He also ranked fifth in the league in duels won with 199 at a 53.6 percent success rate and led Young Player-eligible players with 37 interceptions while finishing tied for first among eligible players 37 tackles at a 66.1 percent success rate.
2024 Player of the Year Finalists – Winner announced Saturday, Nov. 23
Taylor Davila, Louisville City FC – The 24-year-old was a key force in leading LouCity to its historic regular season campaign after his offseason arrival, recording seven goals and six assists from central midfield. Davila’s influence was felt all over the field as he ranked second in the league with 75 chances created and notched 26 interceptions and 201 recoveries to rank fifth in the league with a +9.36 Goals Added mark per American Soccer Analysis.
Jorge Hernández, San Antonio FC – The 24-year-old playmaker maintained his position as one of the most influential attacking midfielders in the league, ranking first in chances created with 83 and second in assists with nine while also recording 31 interceptions and winning 30 tackles at a success rate of 73.2 percent. Named to the Championship All-League First Team for a second consecutive season, Hernández graded fifth in the league with a +8.68 Goals Added mark per American Soccer analysis despite SAFC missing out on a postseason berth.
Nick Markanich, Charleston Battery – The 24-year-old became one of the stories of the year in American soccer as he shattered the USL Championship’s single-season goalscoring record with 28 tallies in 33 appearances. Markanich averaged a goal every 98.3 minutes for the Battery and also notched five assists as he led the league with 50 shots on target and posted a shooting accuracy rate of 59.5 percent and shot conversion rate of 33.3 percent. Set to join LaLiga 2 club CD Castellon via transfer this offseason, Markanich also shone defensively, ranking ninth in the league with 188 duels won while winning 37 tackles at a 63.9 percent success rate and winning possession 35 times in the attacking third, the most in the league.
