With 29 games (originally 30, but we had one forfeit), the Second Round of the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup was the second-biggest round of the tournament’s Modern Era (1995-present). With that many games, and with plenty of competitive games, there were a lot of good nominees for TheCup.us Player of the Round.
Since 2006, TheCup.us has set out to honor the best individual performance of each round.
The award is voted on by TheCup.us staff, a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters, and select backers from TheCup.us’ Patreon. If you’d like to vote in this, or the upcoming “Player of the Tournament” vote, consider pledging $10 or more and help us continue to cover the US Open Cup and research it’s long history.
MORE: 2023 US Open Cup Round 2 Review
The award is voted on by TheCup.us staff, a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters, and select backers from TheCup.us’ Patreon. If you’d like to vote in this, or the upcoming “Player of the Tournament” vote, consider pledging $10 or more and help us continue to cover the US Open Cup and research it’s long history.
MORE: 2023 US Open Cup Round 2 Review
Here are the finalists (in alphabetical order):
Juan Agudelo
Birmingham Legion FC (USL-C)
Scored 2 goals in a 4-1 road win vs. Chattanooga FC (NISA).
Elvis Amoh
Hartford Athletic (USL-C)
Scored a hat trick in a 3-0 home win vs. Lansdowne Yonkers FC (EPSL).
Solomon Asante
Indy Eleven (USL-C)
After subbing in at the half, Asante assisted on the equalizer and the go-ahead goal in extra time in a 3-1 home win vs. Michigan Stars FC (NISA).
Russell Cicerone
Sacramento Republic (USL-C)
Cicerone scored the late equalizer and another goal in extra time in a 12-minute span to help fuel Republic’s 5-4 come from behind home win against Crossfire Premier (NPSL).
Josh Dolling
New Mexico United (USL-C)
Dolling scored a hat trick in a 6-0 home win vs. UDA Soccer (UPSL).
Stephen Elias
Flower City Union (NISA)
In a six-minute span in the first half, Elias scored two goals (opening goal and what would prove to be the game-winner) in a 3-1 home win over Manhattan SC (USL-2).
Darwin Espina
Maryland Bobcats (NISA)
Scored two goals and assisted on the goal on the final kick of the game in extra time in a 3-2 come-from-behind home win over the Ocean City Nor’easters (USL-2).
Azriel Gonzalez
Las Vegas Lights FC (USL-C)
Scored two goals in an eight-minute span in the first half in the Lights’ 4-0 home win vs. LA Force (NISA).
Mark Hernandez
Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (USL-1)
Coming off the bench, Hernandez assisted on the go-ahead goal in extra time, and scored another in a 3-1 extra time road win over the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (USL-C).
Lucky Mkosana
Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL-C)
Mkosana assisted on the opening goal and scored another (both in the first half) in the Rowdies’ 2-0 home win over Nona FC (USL-2).
Wolfgang Prentice
Oakland Roots (USL-C)
Scored two goals in a eight-minute span in the first half in Oakland’s 3-1 home win over El Farolito (NPSL).
Bryson Reed
Tulsa Athletic (NPSL)
Made three saves and kept a clean sheet in Tulsa Athletic’s 1-0 home win vs. FC Tulsa (USL-C).
Claudio Repetto
Miami FC (USL-C)
After coming off the bench in the 64th minute, Repetto scored the go-ahead goal in the 82nd minute and then converted a penalty kick three minutes later to give Miami FC a 3-1 home win over Jacksonville Armada U-23s (NPSL).
Ryan Shellow
Detroit City FC (USL-C)
Made two saves and kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 home win vs. Gold Star Detroit (NISA).
AR Smith Jr.
Chicago House AC (USASA/Midwest Premier League)
Scored the stoppage-time equalizer before slotting home the game-winning goal in extra time in a 3-2 come-from-behind road win vs. Forward Madison FC (USL-1).
Emiliano Terzaghi
Richmond Kickers (USL-1)
Scored the team’s first and second goals (31′, 59′) and assisted on a third (which proved to be the game-winner) in a 3-2 home win vs. Cleveland SC (NPSL)