Pinho Earns Team-high 4th Nod of Season, Cochran Becomes 11th Different Member of Boys in Blue to Garner Weekly Honor in 2022
TAMPA/INDIANAPOLIS – For the fifth time this season – and for the second consecutive week – Indy Eleven has placed two players on the USL Championship Team of the Week, with defender A.J. Cochran and forward Stefano Pinho reaping the rewards for their Week 31 performances.
Pinho’s 12 goals places him tied for sixth in the Eastern Conference’s Golden Boot race and tied for 14th place across the USL Championship heading into the final week of regular season action. His dozen goals count as the third most in a single season for Indy Eleven (behind only Eamon Zayed’s 16 tallies in 2016 and Tyler Pasher’s 13 goals in 2019) and already places him in the seventh spot on the club’s career goal scoring list.
Cochran earned his first Team of the Week honor of the season after opening the scoring on Saturday, his 40th minute header off Ayoze’s set piece service equaling the match at 1-1 and starting the Eleven’s furious comeback effort. The St. Louis native, whose goal was his first in 46 regular season games since joining Indy ahead of the 2021 season, did plenty of work at his customary center back role as well on Saturday night, leading the Boys in Blue in clearances (6) and interceptions (4) while winning both of his tackles entered.
Cochran is fittingly the 11th different member of the Boys in Blue to earn a Team of the Week placement in 2022, with those players doing so a combined 17 times this season:
FW Manuel Arteaga – Week 13 (Player of the Week) & Week 15 (bench)
FW Solomon Asante – Week 14 (bench) & Week 27
MF Ayoze – Week 30
DF A.J. Cochran – Week 31
DF Robby Dambrot – Week 25 (bench) & Week 30 (bench)
DF Mechack Jerome – Week 5 (bench)
MF Neveal Hackshaw – Week 27
MF Nicky Law – Week 6
GK Elliot Panicco – Week 3
FW Stefano Pinho – Week 5 (bench), Week 7, Week 26 (Player of the Week) & Week 31
GK Tim Trilk – Week 25 (bench)
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.
USL Championship Team of the Week – Week 31
GK – Vicente Reyes, Atlanta United 2: Reyes put in a stellar performance for Atlanta, making 10 saves as Atlanta beat LA Galaxy II 3-1 away from home. This was the third time this season Reyes has posted 10 saves in a match.
D – Josh Wynder, Louisville City FC: Wynder came off the bench and scored a game-winning goal as Louisville beat Detroit City FC 2-1. Wynder also contributed three interceptions, two clearances and a tackle in 45 minutes of action.
D – AJ Cochran, Indy Eleven: Cochran scored a goal and put in a great defensive performance in a 4-1 win over the Charleston Battery, tallying six clearances, four interceptions and two tackles while winning 80 percent of his duels.
D – Connor Antley, Tampa Bay Rowdies: Antley recorded two assists and three chances created while also completing 89 percent of his passes in an 8-0 win over Loudoun United FC.
M – Jonas Fjeldberg, Rio Grande Valley FC: Fjeldberg helped the Toros pick up four points this week with a 2-2 draw in Memphis and a 2-1 win over Phoenix. Fjeldberg scored twice and created two chances in the victory.
M – Juan Torres, Rio Grande Valley FC: Torres scored once and created a chance in the draw with Memphis and then made two assists in the victory over Phoenix.
M – Amando Moreno, New Mexico United: Moreno drew the penalty for New Mexico’s first goal and then scored the other two himself in a 3-3 draw with San Diego Loyal SC.
M – Tristan Trager, Atlanta United 2: Trager scored the game-tying goal in the 75th minute and then the go-ahead goal in the 87th minute as Atlanta rallied to beat LA Galaxy II. Trager also created two chances.
F – Michee Ngalina, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC: Ngalina scored a hat trick and created a chance in Colorado Springs’ 4-1 road win over El Paso Locomotive FC.
F – Stefano Pinho, Indy Eleven: Pinho scored twice from five shots as Indy rolled to a 4-1 win over the Battery.
F – Sebastian Guenzatti: Guenzatti scored twice from three shots in the victory over Loudoun, becoming Tampa Bay’s all-time leading scorer in the process. He also completed 90 percent of his passes overall and 100 percent of his passes in Loudoun’s half.
Bench: Abraham Romero (LV), Fabien Garcia (SA), Tony Leone (LV), Laurent Kissiedou (MEM), Juan Azocar (OAK), Phillip Goodrum (MEM), Luis Solignac (ELP)