TAMPA, Fla. – USL League One today announced the Team of the Week for Week 6 of the 2023 regular season with Greenville Triumph SC midfielder Lucas Coutinho named Player of the Week presented by Konami eFootball after tallying his first professional brace and an assist in Greenville’s six-point Week 6.
Coutinho got the scoring started early, bodying his way through a slew of Fuego FC defenders and finishing off his first goal of the season in just the 11th minute. In a match controlled by the hosts, Coutinho added to his total with a short pass to Noah Pilato, who put away his third goal in as many matches in the 42nd minute. Wrapping up the victory emphatically, Coutinho fired a laser into the back of the net from the top of the penalty area. While not as active on the offensive end in Greenville's second match of the week, Coutinho put in an 81-minute shift to help Triumph SC to a clean-sheet victory over Lexington on Saturday.
"Firstly, want to glorify the man upstairs," Coutinho said after Wednesday's two-goal, one-assist performance. "The last couple of years have been very difficult for me, and I was waiting for a performance like tonight. I’m really happy to help the team get out of this hole we dug ourselves into at the beginning of the season.
"We’ve got a lot of season left, and we believe in each other and always work hard. We knew this first win would come, and I’m really proud of the energy the guys brought. This is the Greenville we know."
"It was a really good team performance for sure,” Greenville Head Coach John Harkes said after the victory over Central Valley. "We added more discipline to our tactical shape and focused on how we are off the ball. When the guys start doing that work and rolling up their sleeves a little bit - especially in the wide areas of the field - that’s when we can close down teams."
Greenville’s Week 6 success was reflected with a league-leading four players named to the Team of the Week and two to the Team of the Week Bench. Positive results for Charlotte, North Carolina and South Georgia see the trio place at least three players on the Team of the Week and Team of the Week bench.
GK – Austin Pack, Charlotte Independence: In a two-clean sheet, four-point week, Austin Pack went off, recording nine saves in a scoreless draw against Omaha and one save in a 1-0 victory over Central Valley.
D – Preston Kilwien, South Georgia Tormenta FC: In addition to assisting the match-winning goal, Kilwien helped South Georgia tally a clean sheet with his five clearances, four recoveries and two interceptions.
D – Tyler Polak, Greenville Triumph SC: The longtime Triumph SC defender helped Greenville to a much-needed six points on the week, recording 14 recoveries, a combined 10 duels and tackles won, eight clearances and two blocks.
D – Alexis Souahy, Union Omaha: Souahy led the week with his 0.56 goals added according to American Soccer Analysis. The veteran Comorian defender helped Omaha to a clean sheet with his 91% passing accuracy, 86% long ball accuracy, five duels won, four recoveries and three clearances
D – Nick Spielman, Charlotte Independence: After scoring just once across 57 matches with Chattanooga FC, first-year Jack Nick Spielman has scored twice in the past four matches with both goals serving as match-winners. The 26-year-old defender also helped Charlotte to a pair of clean sheets with 12 recoveries, 11 clearances, six duels won and a 91% passing accuracy.
M – Matheus Cassini, South Georgia Tormenta FC: The first-year Ibis made the most of his 23 minutes on the pitch, scoring the match-winner just three minutes after being subbed on and notching an assist 18 minutes later. The 27-year-old Brazilian also won a pair of duels and a pair of fouls.
M – Lucas Coutinho, Greenville Triumph SC: Coutinho became the first player this season to tally three goal contributions in a single match, recording his first professional brace and an assist in Greenville’s big 3-0 victory over Central Valley. Across two Week 6 matches, Coutinho claimed 12 recoveries, won seven duels and created a trio of chances.
M – Rafa Mentzingen, North Carolina FC: In his first meeting with a former squad, the Brazilian midfielder recorded a nine-minute brace to secure NCFC’s first-ever victory over Chattanooga. Proving ultra-efficient in his 71 minutes on the pitch, Mentzingen completed six long balls, five dribbles, and won 10 duels and three fouls.
M – Noah Pilato, Greenville Triumph SC: With two Week 6 scores, Pilato’s now scored three goals in his last three matches. The 26-year-old midfielder helped Greenville to a six-point week with 11 recoveries and six duels won.
F – Oalex Anderson, North Carolina FC: The Saint Vincent and the Grenadines international bagged the match-winning goal in the 45th minute before assisting NCFC’s second goal on the evening. Anderson also created a trio of chances and placed a pair of shots on target.
F – Leonardo Castro, Greenville Triumph SC: Starting to make his mark on the score sheet, the veteran Colombian forward scored once and assisted twice in Greenville’s two-win Week 6. Castro also won a week-high 22 duels between two matches.
Bench: Nicholas Holliday (NC), Johan Biggar (GVL), Avionne Flanagan (CLT), Jackson Khoury (TRM), Mikey Maldonado (NC), Aaron Walker (GVL), Garrett McLaughlin (NC)