San Diego, CA–Forward Kyle Vassell was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week after helping San Diego Loyal to a 4-1 win against Charleston Battery in a Week 5 match on April 9.
Vassell scored a pair of goals in the club’s fourth win at home to help propel his team to a 5-1 record with 15 points, landing SD Loyal at the top of the Western Conference standings. The English striker scored in the first half after fighting off a defender with his back to goal. He spun around and fired a low shot across the six-yard box into the net.
For his second goal, Vassell made a play for the highlight reel. Blasting a shot from 20-yards out, the goal was nominated for the league’s Goal of the Week. Vassell’s brace against Charlotte gives him a team-leading four goals this season as he has been a key contributor to a franchise’s best-ever start in the 2022 USL Championship.
The physical and gritty forward has started in all six league matches this season, playing 428 minutes. He was part of SD Loyal’s dominant attack in the match against Charlotte as he ended the match with four shots while completing 17 of 22 passes.
Vassell is the fourth SD Loyal player to be named to the league’s Team of the Week this season. The club has had four players earn this honor four weeks in a row: goalkeeper Koke Vegas (Week 2, March 22), midfielder Alejandro Guido (Week 3, March 29), and Tumi Moshobane (Week 4, April 5).
SD Loyal (5-1-0, 15 points) is preparing for a set of three matches in a span of a week. First is a road test against Oakland Roots SC on Wednesday, April 13 (7 p.m.). The club then returns home on Saturday, April 16 (7 p.m.) to face off against Eastern Conference powerhouse Louisville City FC . Coach Landon Donovan’s team will then return to Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play with a third-round match against LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Tuesday, April 19 (7:30 p.m.). Tickets to Saturday’s home match against Louisville City FC can be purchased by visiting sdloyal.com/singletickets.
