North Texas Soccer Club’s outstanding midfielder Arturo Rodriguez has been voted the 2019 USL League One Young Player of the Year. Rodriguez led USL-1 with 10 assists on the year and was named MVP of the USL-1 Final.
North Texas SC had three of the four top vote-getters for the prestigious award for the best young player in the league as Rodriguez received 35 percent of the vote and teammate Ronaldo Damus had 29 percent. Toronto FC II’s Jordan Perruzza and North Texas SC’s Ricardo Pepi finished tied for third on 12 percent.
“I told myself I would train hard every day, every game and I think that’s what makes you improve and surpass your previous level,” said Rodriguez. “Hard work and focus is what got me to this moment.”
Rodriguez also tallied seven goals in the regular season and led League One with 72 chances created, 52 of which came from open play. Rodriguez isn’t just offense, he’s a two-way player recording a league-high 61 tackles won at a 67.8 percent success rate.
The 2019 USL League One Awards were voted on by team management. Voting was conducted following the conclusion of the 2019 League One regular season, with players born on or after January 1, 1997, considered eligible for the Young Player of the Year award.