Phoenix’s Asante voted Championship’s Player of the Month

Phoenix Rising FC forward Solomon Asante has been voted the USL Championship’s Player of the Month for August after recording six goals and three assists in Rising FC’s six consecutive victories over the course of the month. Asante’s month saw him set a Championship record for the most combined goals and assists in a single season, with other individual records in sight for the Ghanaian over the final weeks of the regular season.

The award is Asante’s second of the season, having also claimed the honor in June. The 28-year-old has currently recorded a combined 35 goals and assists this season, which saw him surpass 2018 Championship Most Valuable Player Emmanuel Ledesma’s previous record of 32 goals and assists a season ago. Asante also leads the Championship with 83 shots in 2019 and is tied for third in the league with 73 chances created.

With 21 goals and 14 assists, Asante is within range of two major individual single-season records. He requires five goals over the final six games of the season to pass Cameron Lancaster’s record of 25 regular-season goals set last year, and three assists to surpass Ledesma’s record of 16 assists, also set in 2018. Currently sitting at a rate of a goal every 105.48 minutes and an assist every 158.21 minutes, both marks could be attained over the final six weeks of the season.

Asante received 50 percent of a weighted poll that included the USL Championship Technical Committee, a national panel of independent media representing every USL market and an online fan vote held at USLChampionship.com. San Antonio FC’s Cristian Parano finished second on 27 percent after recording five goals and two assists over the month, while Birmingham Legion FC goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel finished third on 18 percent after leading his side to an undefeated month with 17 saves and three shutouts in five appearances.

USL CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYER OF THE MONTH – AUGUST