Swope Park Rangers forward Tyler Blackwood was named to the USL Team of the Week on Tuesday after playing a heroic role in Sunday's 3-3 thriller against Reno 1868 FC at rain-lashed Children's Mercy Park.
Blackwood doubled his goal total for the season with a first-half brace, slotting home in the seventh and 29th minutes to give SPR a 2-1 lead at the break. Reno responded with a pair of unanswered goals to surge ahead 3-2, but Blackwood's deft assist to Hadji Barry in the 93rd minute rescued a point for the Rangers.
The London-born Blackwood has four goals and one assist during his first season with SPR, having spent the 2017 campaign with Sacramento Republic FC. His influential performance on Sunday snapped the Rangers' two-game losing streak and pulled the side into a tie for the eighth and final playoff spot in the USL Western Conference.
Blackwood and SPR (9-9-7, 34 points) will continue their playoff push Saturday against the team with which they are tied for eighth. Head coach Paulo Nagamura's men are set to visit San Antonio FC (9-7-7, 34 points) at 7:30 p.m. CT in a game that will stream live from Toyota Field on ESPN+.
USL Team of the Week (Week 23)
GK – Matt Pickens, Nashville SC: Pickens recorded a five-save shutout on the road as Nashville earned a 0-0 draw against Louisville City FC on Saturday night at Slugger Field.
D – Sam Fink, Saint Louis FC: Fink won 13 of 19 duels, recorded 11 clearances and three interceptions and won all three tackles he attempted as STLFC split a pair of results against Sacramento Republic FC and Fresno FC.
D – Onua Obasi, Ottawa Fury FC: Obasi recorded three interceptions, won five of seven tackles and 16 of 27 duels as Fury FC allowed only three shots on goal in back-to-back shutouts that garnered the club a win and a draw.
D – Zach Ellis-Hayden, Fresno FC: Ellis-Hayden scored his first goal of the season and also won five of eight duels and recorded three interceptions and two clearances in the Foxes’ 1-0 win against Saint Louis FC.
D – Reiner Ferreira, Indy Eleven: Ferreira recorded 17 clearances and four interceptions, won 10 of 16 duels and five of six tackles to help Indy to a win against North Carolina FC and a draw against Ottawa Fury FC.
M – Renzo Zambrano, Portland Timbers 2: Zambrano scored a pair of goals, won six of eight tackles and 17 of 27 duels to help lead T2 to victories against San Antonio FC and Seattle Sounders FC 2.
M – Alex Dixon, OKC Energy FC: Dixon recorded a goal and an assist to help Energy FC claim its third consecutive victory in a 4-2 win against Rio Grande Valley FC, only the Toros’ second home loss of the season.
M – Miguel Aguilar, LA Galaxy II: Aguilar scored the opening goal and set the tone for the Galaxy II’s 4-1 victory against Sacramento Republic FC, its first win against its Californian rival since the 2015 USL Cup Playoffs.
F – Foster Langsdorf, Portland Timbers 2: Langsdorf scored three goals over two games as T2 earned victories against San Antonio FC and Seattle Sounders FC 2, giving the first-year pro 13 goals this season.
F – Tyler Blackwood, Swope Park Rangers: Blackwood had two goals and one assist as the Rangers played to a dramatic 3-3 draw with Reno 1868 FC, with Blackwood providing the assist on Hadji Barry’s stoppage-time equalizer.
F – Michael Seaton, Orange County SC: Seaton continued his recent hot streak with two goals and one assist as Orange County defeated Las Vegas Lights FC 3-1 last Wednesday night to move second in the West.
Bench: Maxime Crepeau (OTT), Forrest Lasso (CIN), Brian Brown (RNO), Chandler Hoffman (SLC), Christian Volesky (OKC), Thomas Enevoldsen (OC), Brian Shriver (RIC)
