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USL Championship Team of the Week – Week 2

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 03/18/25, 2:30PM EDT

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El Paso's Amando Moreno earns Player of the Week honors with first brace of season

TAMPA, Fla. – The USL Championship today announced the Team of the Week for Week 2 of the 2025 regular season with El Paso Locomotive FC midfielder Amando Moreno named Player of the Week presented by Konami eFootball with a brace against Phoenix Rising FC.

After scoring El Paso's first goal of the season a week ago against the defending title-holder Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, Moreno tallied the eighth brace of his professional career in a high-scoring, 4-4 draw against Phoenix. The 29-year-old doubled El Paso's advantage in the 34th minute before executing a bicycle kick to perfection in the 53rd minute.

"I'm extremely happy to have scored two goals at home, and I'll keep working to have more nights like these," Moreno said. "I'm grateful to have been able to score a bike, and hopefully I can get more this year. It's only the beginning, and I have so much faith in my team that we will only get better. I'll keep playing my part to help my team get to the top!"

The Championship's Player of the Week is selected by the USL National Media Panel, which is made up of representatives from each media market in the Championship. Moreno finished with 58%, while Phoenix's Hope Avayevu and Charleston's Cal Jennings finished tied for second with 17%.

GK – Luis Zamudio, Charleston Battery: The 26-year-old led the Battery to their first clean sheet of the season and first victory against Rhode Island with two saves, six recoveries and a 70% passing accuracy rate.

D – Lamar Batista, FC Tulsa: Batista recorded his first assist in nearly two years, providing the helper on Patrick Seagrist's 73rd-minute winner against Tampa Bay. The 27-year-old added 11 duels won, eight clearances, four completed long passes, three recoveries and three fouls won.

D – Patrick Hogan, Indy Eleven: Hogan capped off Indy's rapid three-goal barrage with a 35th-minute score - the fourth of his professional career. In his first match with the club, the 27-year-old contributed with 10 clearances, nine completed long passes and eight duels won.

D – Gabriel Torres, El Paso Locomotive FC: The former Rising FC man scored against his former club in his first El Paso start, totaling four recoveries, two duels won, two shots on target and an 80% passing accuracy rate in Locomotive FC's 4-4 draw.

M – Hope Avayevu, Phoenix Rising FC: The 22-year-old Ghanaian assisted Phoenix's first and third goals to help his side erase a three-goal deficit in El Paso. Avayevu added five completed long passes, five duels won, three recoveries, two successful dribbles and a 78% passing accuracy rate.

M – Mayele Malango, Monterey Bay FC: After a pair of productive seasons with Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, Malango scored Monterey Bay's first goal of the season early in the second half of its 3-2 victory against Oakland Roots. The 28-year-old finished with an 83% passing accuracy rate, five duels won, three tackles won, two completed dribbles, two shots on target and one chance created.

M – Jack Blake, Indy Eleven: Blake recorded the 12th multi-goal-contribution match of his professional career in his side's 3-1 victory against Miami FC, scoring Indy's first goal of the season from the spot in the third minute before assisting Patrick Hogan's goal later in the first half. Blake totaled nine duels won, five fouls won, four shots on target, three chances created and three completed long passes.

M – Abdellatif Aboukoura, Loudoun United FC: Aboukoura followed up his one-goal, one-assist match in Week 1 with his second goal of the season, sparking Loudoun's 2-1 victory against North Carolina FC. The former Egypt youth international added eight recoveries, four duels won, three completed dribbles and an 83% passing accuracy rate.

F – Cal Jennings, Charleston Battery: In his second match with the Battery, Jennings constructed his 12th USL Championship brace to down reigning Eastern Conference champions Rhode Island. The 27-year-old also registered four shots on target and four duels won. Per American Soccer Analysis, Jennings led all players with a 0.52 goals-added mark for the week.

F – Amando Moreno, El Paso Locomotive FC: The El Salvador international recorded a 19-minute brace in El Paso's 4-4 draw with Phoenix. Moreno also provided an 80% passing accuracy rate, four recoveries, two duels won and one chance created.

F – Beto Avila, El Paso Locomotive FC: Avila - the eighth unique player with a goal contribution in El Paso's 4-4 draw with Phoenix - tallied a goal and an assist. The 24-year-old provided six duels won, three chances created and three fouls won.

Coach – Ben Pirmann, Charleston Battery: Pirmann avenged Charleston's postseason loss to Rhode Island with a 2-0 victory at Patriots Point. The victory was Charleston's first of the season and Pirmann's 29th against a unique USL Championship opponent. 

Bench: Johan Peñaranda (TUL), Jimmy Medranda (SA), Jose Luis Sinisterra (OAK), Jorge Hernandez (SA), Juan David Torres (CHS), Greg Hurst (NM), Florian Valot (LDN)

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