Who should be League One’s Coach of the Year? As in any awards race, the answer depends on what you value.
In Omaha, Vincenzo Candela has put Los Búhos in position to win the Players’ Shield in his first full season at the helm, and he’s done so with an overhauled roster that got raided over the winter. Madison’s Matt Glaeser has overcome similar challenges, taking the Mingos from sub-playoff obscurity to a top-four spot with a completely re-made squad and re-thought style. If you’re a hipster, you could look to Eamon Zayed in Corpus Christi, who’s taken an extremely low-budget roster, made smart in-season changes, and nearly climbed back into the playoffs.
We won’t have a complete answer until the end of October, but there’s never been as strong a class of managers in League One. Their ability to adjust and maximize star players was crucial in Week 25. What stood out amidst a jam-packed matchweek? Let’s dig in.
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Anderson Rosa, Sarasota’s star
USL League One has been a regular source of talented fullbacks, exemplified by players like Conner Antley, Bruno Rendon, Haruki Yamazaki, and Nathan Messer that have gone on to success in the USL Championship and beyond. Now, Sarasota’s Anderson Rosa looks like the heir to that lineage.
Across Week 25, Rosa – a rising star at left back for Paradise – illustrated how he’s best used and why he’s got such great potential. The 24-year-old notched a goal and an assist in Wednesday’s 3-2 victory over Chattanooga, a match that highlighted the defender’s one-of-one deployment. Saturday’s draw against Omaha was quieter, yet Rosa remained key.
