TAMPA, Fla. – Richmond Kickers midfielder Nil Vinyals was voted USL League One’s Player of the Month presented by Konami eFootball for March. Helping Richmond to an unbeaten March, Vinyals is the third consecutive Kickers player to earn Player of the Month honors, matching a league record.
Kicking off his fifth season in League One and third in Richmond, the Kickers' Spanish midfielder earned Player of the Week honors in Week 2 after he assisted his side's 12th-minute winner in Greenville. Vinyals helped the Kickers to an unbeaten 1-0-1 start with his 87% passing accuracy, 17 duels won, 14 recoveries, five dribbles completed and four chances created across two matches.
"It has been a great start of the season for the team where we showed that possession-based football will allow us to be consistent throughout the season, which ultimately helps me be more involved during games," Vinyals said. "I’m happy to have won this award, and I’m excited to see more Kickers players and staff be nominated in the future."
"We have watched Nil grow as a midfielder here in Richmond through his hard work and cerebral approach to training every day," Kickers Head Coach and Sporting Director Darren Sawatzky said. "We are happy he is being recognized for a quality start to the season, and we look forward to his continued growth as he pulls the strings for us."
Vinyals received 33% of a weighted poll that included the USL League One Technical Committee and an online fan vote held at USLLeagueOne.com. South Georgia Tormenta FC forward Mukwelle Akale finished second on 32% after scoring a pair of goals, while Charlotte Independence defender Clay Dimick finished third on 17% after helping the Jacks to the top of the table with his league-leading 18 duels won.
Nominee | Fan Vote | Weight | USL Vote | Weight | Total Vote |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nil Vinyals (RIC) | 33% | 20% | 33% | 13% | 33% |
Mukwelle Akale (TRM) | 9% | 5% | 67% | 27% | 32% |
Clay Dimick (CLT) | 28% | 17% | 0% | 0% | 17% |
Carlos Avilez (CHA) | 17% | 10% | 0% | 0% | 10% |
Christian Chaney (MAD) | 14% | 8% | 0% | 0% | 8% |