A pair of Sporting KC loanees have earned USL Team of the Week honors for their leading roles in the Swope Park Rangers' crucial 2-1 road win over San Antonio FC on Saturday night at Toyota Field. Defender Amer Didic was selected among the Team of the Week starters, while goalkeeper Eric Dick took a spot on the bench.
Didic turned in an excellent performance in central defense, completing 54 of 59 passes, winning six of eight duels and recording seven clearances. His 25th-minute header off a Felipe Hernandez corner kick gave SPR a 2-0 lead and turned out to be the game winner.
Dick was equally stout between the posts with six saves, including a handful of stunning stops in the second half when San Antonio FC laid siege on the Rangers in desperate search for an equalizer. Saturday's result gave SPR (10-9-7, 37 points) sole possession of the eighth and final playoff spot in the USL's Western Conference with eight regular season matches still remaining between now and Oct. 14.
The Rangers will continue their postseason push this week with a pair of home games at Children's Mercy Park, hosting Oklahoma-based rivals Tulsa Roughnecks FC (2-12-10, 16 points) at 7:30 p.m. CT Wednesday and OKC Energy FC (10-12-5, 35 points) at 4 p.m. CT Sunday. Tickets for both matches are available via SeatGeek.com or at the stadium's east box office on gameday, and the first 500 fans in attendance on Sunday will receive a free Hat Trick Harry bobblehead. Both games will also stream live on ESPN+.
USL Team of the Week (Week 24)
GK – Tyler Deric, Rio Grande Valley FC: Deric recorded a seven-save shutout on the road to lead the Toros to a 2-0 victory against Orange County SC for the club’s first road win of the season on Saturday night.
D – Jeremy Hall, Sacramento Republic FC: Hall made five interceptions, three clearances and completed 43 of 45 passes, as Republic FC took a 2-1 victory against Reno 1868 FC at Greater Nevada Field on Saturday.
D – Amer Didic, Swope Park Rangers: Didic scored what proved to be the game-winning goal, won six of eight duels overall, completed 54 of 59 passes and recorded seven clearances, as the Rangers took a 2-1 win on the road against San Antonio FC.
D – Matt Mahoney, Bethlehem Steel FC: Mahoney won 15 of 20 duels, recorded 14 recoveries and made seven interceptions and seven clearances over the course of victories against Ottawa Fury FC and Nashville SC.
M – Gladson Awako, Phoenix Rising FC: Awako notched one goal, two assists and recorded eight key passes to help lead Rising FC to a 4-0 victory against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Saturday night.
M – Nazmi Albadawi, FC Cincinnati: Albadawi scored twice, played a key role in a third FCC goal and recorded two key passes during the side’s 5-1 victory against ATL UTD 2 on Wednesday night.
M – Zach Steinberger, North Carolina FC: Steinberger had two goals and one assist in his debut for North Carolina, as it swept to a 6-2 victory against the Charlotte Independence on Saturday.
M – Santi Moar, Bethlehem Steel FC: Moar scored twice, recorded two key passes, made three interceptions and completed 27 of 33 passes overall in Bethlehem’s 2-0 win against Ottawa Fury FC last Wednesday evening.
F – Chandler Hoffman, Real Monarchs SLC: Hoffman recorded a second consecutive brace and added an assist to lead the Monarchs to a 4-0 victory against the LA Galaxy II on Saturday night.
F – Tom Barlow, New York Red Bulls II: Barlow scored a hat trick after coming on as a second-half substitute, as New York rallied from a three-goal halftime deficit to draw 4-4 with the Charleston Battery on Saturday.
F – Cameron Lancaster, Louisville City FC: Lancaster scored three goals over two games, as Louisville swept to victories against the Charlotte Independence and Richmond Kickers.
Bench: Eric Dick (SPR), Jose Barril (OKC), Chris Cortez (PHX), Patrick Okonkwo (CHS), Steven Miller (NC), Wal Fall (STL), Luke Spencer (LOU)
