TAMPA, Fla. – Despite his team coming up short last Sunday, Rida Zouhir showed out on the pitch once again and the Birmingham Legion FC midfielder was rewarded for his efforts on Tuesday by being named to the USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 31.
Not only did Zouhir open his scoring account over the weekend with an 89th minute long-range strike against North Carolina FC, he also led The Three Sparks with two shots on target, 17 final third entries, 66 completed passes and nine total crosses. 23-year-old Canadian who joined Legion FC on loan back in August also won eight of his 12 duels as well as all three of his tackles.
The Week 31 honor marks the second straight week that Zouhir was named to the USL-C Team of the Week. It also marks the eleventh week overall in which a Legion FC player has earned the recognition. Stefano Pinho, Tyler Pasher, Matt Van Oekel and Head Coach Tom Soehn all were named in Week 21. Derek Dodson was recognized for Week 19, with Pasher, Alex Crognale and Dawson McCartney in Week 16, followed by AJ Paterson and Pasher again in Week 13. Enzo Martinez was named to both the Week 10 and 9 teams, with Kobe Hernandez-Foster in Week 6 and Van Oekel in Week 1.
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC forward Bertin Jacquesson was voted the Player of the Week presented by Konami eFootball after recording a hat trick in the Hounds’ 4-0 victory against Miami FC on Saturday night. The 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 31
GK – Gabriel Perrotta, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC: Perrotta posted a four-save shutout for the Hounds on the road against Miami FC, posting a -1.17 Goals Prevented mark, to help his side pick up a key in the postseason race.
D – Keegan Tingey, Loudoun United FC: Tingey scored the decisive goal in Loudoun’s 2-0 victory against Hartford Athletic to cap a good two-way display which saw him complete 31 of 37 passes and record three shots overall while making six clearances and three recoveries defensively.
D – Carter Manley, San Antonio FC: The veteran defender scored an outstanding goal to spark San Antonio’s comeback 2-1 victory against Sacramento Republic FC on Saturday and defensively won 2 of 3 tackles and 8 of 11 duels while making two interceptions, two clearances and eight recoveries.
D – Camden Riley, Oakland Roots SC: Riley headed home the equalizer for Roots on the road against Memphis 901 FC and was stellar in the back line as he won 6 of 6 duels while recording six clearances and one interception at AutoZone Park.
M – Rafael Mentzingen, North Carolina FC: The Brazilian notched a pair of assists in NCFC’s victory at Birmingham and completed 24 of 30 passes overall while also winning 2 of 3 tackles and 9 of 12 duels defensively.
M – Rida Zouhir, Birmingham Legion FC: The Canadian midfielder scored a superb long-range strike late to give Legion a chance to rally against North Carolina as part of a display in which he completed 66 of 78 passes and had three shots and two chances created while also winning 3 of 3 tackles and 7 of 10 ground duels.
M – Taylor Davila, Louisville City FC: Davila put together a pair of strong performances as LouCity claimed the Players’ Shield with four points across two games, recording one assist and 12 chances created while completing 95 of 109 passes and winning 3 of 5 tackles defensively.
M – Ezra Armstrong, North Carolina FC: The left-sided wingback notched his first two-goal game in the Championship to lead NCFC to a 3-2 win at Birmingham Legion FC while also completing 27 of 33 passes and 2 of 2 dribbles, winning 2 of 2 tackles and making nine recoveries in a strong two-way performance.
F – Bertin Jacquesson, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC: The French forward scored the first hat trick for the Hounds this season and had six shots on target overall as Pittsburgh took a 4-0 victory against Miami FC in a must-win game at Pitbull Stadium.
F – JJ Williams, Rhode Island FC: Williams recorded a goal and assist to lead RIFC to a 3-1 victory against his former club the Tampa Bay Rowdies at Beirne Stadium and had three shots and three chances created overall while also winning 10 of 18 duels.
F – Augustine Williams, Indy Eleven: The Sierra Leone international scored both goals for Indy in its 2-2 draw against LIPAFC rival Louisville City FC on Saturday night, putting home both of his shots on the night while also completing 13 of 18 passes and winning 5 of 11 duels.
Coach – Jordan Stewart, Monterey Bay F.C.: Stewart earned his first victory as a Head Coach in the professional ranks as Monterey Bay broke through for a 2-1 win against Phoenix Rising FC, the last club Stewart suited up for in his lengthy career across England and the United States.
Bench – Carlos Herrera (MB), Tony Alfaro (ELP), Alex Villanueva (DET), Elijah Wynder (LOU), Juan David Torres (CHS), Amadou Dia (LOU), Noah Fuson (RI)
