Wednesday, May 2

Lower Division Five Stars – Round 4

1 – Aly Hassan – F – Fort Lauderdale Strikers: When Andy Herron went down with injury it looked like the Strikers would be in trouble. Instead, Hassan thrived with three goals, giving the club a 2-0 lead against unbeaten Puerto Rico Wednesday and then tallying the 3-2 winner after the Islanders had rallied.

2 – Peter Byers – F – Antigua Barracudas: Byers gave Antigua the lead 12 minutes in and after Charlotte tied it back up he set up two Stefan Smith goals in five minutes to give the club what ended up as a 3-2 victory. 

3 – Reinaldo Navia – F – Atlanta Silverbacks: He broke a scoreless stalemate in the second half with two goals en route to the club’s 3-3 draw with Minnesota.

4 – Amani Walker – F – Minnesota Stars: Down by two goals, Walker scored less than two minutes after Navia tallied his second. After Atlanta restored the two-goal lead, Walker set up Devin Del Do to cut the lead back within one in the 88th minute as Minnesota made a surprising rally for the 3-3 draw. 

5 – Stefan Smith – F – Antigua Barracudas: Smith scored twice in a five minute span in the second half to give the hosts a needed two-goal advantage as they held off Charlotte’s rally for a 3-2 victory.

Five Stars for the Season

First Five:

1 – Stefan Smith – F – Antigua Barracuda: He was dropped down in the list from the top spot last week due to two idle weeks, but he jumped right back up with his second consecutive two-goal outing. He was dangerous in a pair of Round 1 games, sending a shot off the post in a 1-0 loss to Pittsburgh the first night and then scored twice in a 3-1 win two nights later after being fouled for a penalty (missed by Peter Byers). Previous: 4

2 – Reinaldo Navia – F – Atlanta Silverbacks: Reinaldo Navia has scored five goals in the last three games for the Silverbacks, but the club has only three draws to show for it. Previous: 6

3 – Kristian Nicht – G – Rochester Rhinos: Nicht made eight saves against Dayton in a 1-0 victory to keep his slate clean through three games this season, all on the road.  Previous: 9

4 – Jonathan Fana – F – Puerto Rico Islanders: Though they suffered their first loss, the Islanders still received offense from Fana, who set up a goal for three assists in the past two games in addition to two goals he tallied in the second game of the year. Previous: 7

5 – Walter Restrepo – M – Fort Lauderdale Strikers:
Unfortunately, Restrepo’s first goal came in a 3-1 loss on the road to rival Tampa Bay after the club was already trailing by two. However, the midfielder is becoming a regular contributor having notched an assist in the win over Puerto Rico midweek and two assists the previous weekend. Previous: NR

The Next Five: 6 Miguel Gallardo (G, Orlando City), 7 Peter Byers (F, Antigua Barracudas), 8 Richard Martin (G, Puerto Rico Islanders), 9 Jose Cuevas (F, Charleston Battery), 10 Aly Hassan (F, Fort Lauderdale Strikers)

Previously
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3

About Five Stars:
WEEK: The top five professional lower division performers in the North American Soccer League and USL Pro.
SEASON: The top five professional lower division performers cumulatively for the year in the NASL and USL Pro. The list is updated weekly.


2 comments:

  1. Do you only rank up to 10?

    J.C. Banks is third in USL scoring, having played 3 games, in his second season. Has been in first XI or honorable mention each of the 3 weeks the Rhinos had a game. I mean, cumulatively that has to add up.
    Even so, I'd have him at around a 14 or 13.

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  2. I only really list up to 10. Obviously every week my short list starts with the previous week and I look at what they did and at what the new week has brought cumulatively.

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