San Antonio FC forward Cesar Elizondo has been named the USL Player of the Week, the league announced today. Elizondo scored two goals and added an assist last week as the club defeated Seattle Sounders FC 2 and Portland Timbers 2 on the road.
“I am very happy and honored,” said Elizondo. “This award just enlightens the good work that our team has been doing. Personally, it is more motivation to work every day and work even harder for our next match on Saturday.”
Elizondo played 25 minutes in San Antonio’s 3-2 win over Sounders FC 2 last Tuesday, before scoring two goals and recording an assist in a 4-0 win over Timbers 2 just three days later. The 29-year-old helped open the scoring in Portland when his pass found midfielder Billy Forbes who fired the ball into the net. The Costa Rican doubled the SAFC lead later in the first half before sealing the 4-0 win in second half stoppage time after he rounded the keeper and slotted home into an open net. Elizondo has now scored four goals and recorded three assists in six total matches (471 minutes).
Forbes was also included in the USL Team of the Week for the fourth time this season. Forbes scored one goal in the 3-2 victory over Sounders 2, before adding another in the 4-0 win at Portland. Forbes is now tied for the league-lead in goals scored with six, while he is tied for second-most assists in the USL with three.
SAFC midfielder Devin Vega was also honored this week, being named to the USL Team of the Week Bench for the first time this season.
Elizondo and Forbes are the only two players in the USL with at least four goals scored and three assists. They are also the only teammates in the league so far that have recorded at least four goals or at least three assists each. Elizondo originally joined the club in July of 2016, while Forbes signed with the club prior to the start of the 2017 season.
Elizondo is just the second SAFC player to earn USL Player of the Week honors and first in the 2017 season. San Antonio FC goalkeeper Matt Cardone was the first ever Player of the Week in club history after his shutout performance in August of 2016 earned a road win in Saint Louis. SAFC has now had at least one representative in the USL Team of the Week following five of the club’s seven matches so far this season.
The full USL Team of the Week:
GK – Angelo Cavalluzzo, Toronto FC II
D – Hugh Roberts, Bethlehem Steel FC
D – James Moberg, Real Monarchs SLC
D – Joe Greenspan, Pittsburgh Riverhounds
D – Damion Lowe, Tampa Bay Rowdies
M – Billy Forbes, San Antonio FC
M – Christiano Francois, Rochester Rhinos
M – Joe Holland, Rio Grande Valley FC
F – Felix Chenkam, Seattle Sounders FC 2
F – Romario Williams, Charleston Battery
F – Cesar Elizondo, San Antonio FC
Bench: Adam Grinwis (STL), Ryan Williams (OTT), Devin Vega (SA), Wal Fall (ROC), Ben Spencer (LOU), Maikel Chang (CHS), Deshorn Brown (TBR)
San Antonio FC forward Cesar Elizondo has been named the USL Player of the Week, the league announced today. Elizondo scored two goals and added an assist last week as the club defeated Seattle Sounders FC 2 and Portland Timbers 2 on the road.
“I am very happy and honored,” said Elizondo. “This award just enlightens the good work that our team has been doing. Personally, it is more motivation to work every day and work even harder for our next match on Saturday.”
Elizondo played 25 minutes in San Antonio’s 3-2 win over Sounders FC 2 last Tuesday, before scoring two goals and recording an assist in a 4-0 win over Timbers 2 just three days later. The 29-year-old helped open the scoring in Portland when his pass found midfielder Billy Forbes who fired the ball into the net. The Costa Rican doubled the SAFC lead later in the first half before sealing the 4-0 win in second half stoppage time after he rounded the keeper and slotted home into an open net. Elizondo has now scored four goals and recorded three assists in six total matches (471 minutes).
Forbes was also included in the USL Team of the Week for the fourth time this season. Forbes scored one goal in the 3-2 victory over Sounders 2, before adding another in the 4-0 win at Portland. Forbes is now tied for the league-lead in goals scored with six, while he is tied for second-most assists in the USL with three.
SAFC midfielder Devin Vega was also honored this week, being named to the USL Team of the Week Bench for the first time this season.
Elizondo and Forbes are the only two players in the USL with at least four goals scored and three assists. They are also the only teammates in the league so far that have recorded at least four goals or at least three assists each. Elizondo originally joined the club in July of 2016, while Forbes signed with the club prior to the start of the 2017 season.
Elizondo is just the second SAFC player to earn USL Player of the Week honors and first in the 2017 season. San Antonio FC goalkeeper Matt Cardone was the first ever Player of the Week in club history after his shutout performance in August of 2016 earned a road win in Saint Louis. SAFC has now had at least one representative in the USL Team of the Week following five of the club’s seven matches so far this season.
The full USL Team of the Week:
GK – Angelo Cavalluzzo, Toronto FC II
D – Hugh Roberts, Bethlehem Steel FC
D – James Moberg, Real Monarchs SLC
D – Joe Greenspan, Pittsburgh Riverhounds
D – Damion Lowe, Tampa Bay Rowdies
M – Billy Forbes, San Antonio FC
M – Christiano Francois, Rochester Rhinos
M – Joe Holland, Rio Grande Valley FC
F – Felix Chenkam, Seattle Sounders FC 2
F – Romario Williams, Charleston Battery
F – Cesar Elizondo, San Antonio FC
Bench: Adam Grinwis (STL), Ryan Williams (OTT), Devin Vega (SA), Wal Fall (ROC), Ben Spencer (LOU), Maikel Chang (CHS), Deshorn Brown (TBR)
