There are few players in the USL Championship that can deliver in the way Phoenix Rising FC’s Carlos Harvey can.

If you want him to win possession, he can do that. Harvey leads Rising FC with 204 won duels this season along with 167 recoveries and 25 interceptions, his 6-foot-3 frame providing a powerful presence in the center of the park.

If you want him to distribute, he can do that. The 23-year-old has an 86.5 percent passing accuracy rate on 1,248 completed passes this season, averaging 46.2 passes per 90 minutes.

If you want him to produce in the final third, he can do that as well. With five goals, six assists, 25 chances created, and seven Big Chances created this season, he’s been an influential part of one of the best attacks in the USL Championship.

Add it up, and you have one of the most important players to his side in the league. Harvey’s +2.62 Goals Added Above Average at his position via American Soccer Analysis was the highest mark in Phoenix’s squad and was second only to Rio Grande Valley FC’s Taylor Davila among central midfielders in the regular season.

In short, he’s been everything that Rising FC Head Coach Juan Guerra hoped for when the club signed him this offseason.

“[He’s] exactly as we expected,” said Guerra. “Carlos is an unbelievable player and great person on and off the field. He’s helped us build the culture we wanted in the locker room. He helped us build the identity we wanted to have on the field. We're very happy to have him.”

Given his overall season, you can understand why Guerra isn’t concerned about a few ups-and-downs.

“That’s normal for every single player in the world,” said Guerra. “We play in a difficult league with 34 regular-season games that involve a lot of travel. On top of that he has been traveling with the national team. He has also had to adapt to a new city, a new team, a new coach, a new style of play.”

There’s no lack of motivation for Harvey to broaden his growth, either. A native of Panama City, he’s earned four senior national team caps for Panama, and earlier this year scored his first goal for his country in an exhibition against Guatemala. He was named to the preliminary roster for the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup in the summer, only to miss out on being named to the final roster as Los Canaleros – continuing their rise in the region – advanced to the Final before falling to Mexico.

As one of the younger players in the senior national team pool, Harvey is aiming for his performances for Phoenix to lead to more opportunities with the national team. That would include potentially earning a place in the squad for next summer’s Copa America and ultimately the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“I felt very happy because this was a dream from when I was younger,” Harvey said of his first senior national team goal. “It’s a dream of all Panamanian kids to play for the National Team, to wear the jersey, and to sing the national anthem in front of millions of people. It’s a beautiful game. It would be an honor to play for the 2026 World Cup team.”

“Carlos loves representing Panama,” added Guerra. “Every time I see his name on the list, I can see how happy he is. ... All he needs now is more opportunities. I think he'll keep showing his importance, not only with us but for Panama.”

The good news for Phoenix fans is Harvey has been close to his best in the opening two weeks of the postseason. In addition to a pair of assists, including the 35-yard dime he dropped to set up Danny Trejo’s opener in Orange County last Saturday night, last weekend he helped drive a strong second-half display that stabilized the ship for the visitors before they went on to win in extra time.

Against a Sacramento Republic FC midfield led by Luis Felipe Fernandes and Nick Ross that also shone a week ago, Harvey’s influence could be essential to Rising FC finding success this Saturday night.

“The main objective is to stay calm and focused on what we came to do and not lose our form,” said Harvey. “It will be a good matchup because they have good quality players. … Sacramento has had a good run and good fans, and this will be a great game for both teams.”

There’s no doubt from Guerra what Harvey’s talent can deliver, now and in the future.

“Carlos is one of the top players in this league,” said Guerra. “When he is on, he is a guy that should easily be playing in MLS. This is a national team player with the work ethic and ambitions to get to the next level and continue to excel at higher levels.”

As Phoenix takes aim at a third Western Conference title, Harvey is aiming to be center stage once again.

“The most important thing has been the fight this team has,” he said. “The fight doesn’t stop with each team we face. Not to mention the team’s hunger to win, because we all work hard to bring victories home to our fans in Phoenix.”