Welcome back!
Hopefully you enjoyed my first column reviewing our Forwards. I know there are going to be those who agree with my verdicts, and others who think I’m crazy. That’s the beauty of being a fan, we all see this through different lenses.
This time I want to focus on the Midfielders. The players discussed today are all listed as Midfielders on the team’s website. When I think of Midfielders I see the players that connect the defense to the offense, therefore, the main statistics I will focus on this week (in addition to shots, goals, and assists) are passing accuracy, interceptions, and tackles won.
As a reminder, I will use the following verdicts after making my statistical case for each player:
- Lock: these are for players that should be considered guarantee resigning.
- Mixed: There is an argument to resign this player but don’t be surprised if they’re not back in 2021.
- Gone: these are for players that are likely not coming back next season at all.
Players listed as Midfielder alphabetically by first name:
Devin Boyce:
To say that Devin Boyce starting our first ever League One match against New England Revs II came as a shock to me would seem like an understatement. Boyce was a late signing, although was a trialist with the team, and didn’t seem like the logical choice to start our first ever competitive match. Oh, how wrong I was.
Devin played in all 16 matches this season, he’s one of three along with Evan and EVD that can say that. On top of playing in all 16 matches he started 13 of those matches and played a total of 1,111 minutes. Devin was just as much a bottle of energy as Elma and brought a fiery personality to the pitch. Offensively Devin offered a bit of firepower scoring a goal and providing two assists while having 9 total shots with 2 on target.
Devin also completed 452 passes on the season with a 77% accuracy. The majority of Devin’s passes were also forward, meaning he was trying to get the ball down the field. Defensively Devin attempted 36 tackles, winning 18 (50%) of them. He also managed 16 interceptions, or 1 per game.
Overall, statistically speaking, Devin was able to help us all over the field. The stats don’t tell us where Devin won those tackles or intercepted the ball but anytime a midfielder can win tackles or steal the ball AND push it up field, your offense has a chance.
2021 Verdict: Lock. Boyce may have entered the season as an unknown, but he quickly made his presence felt and became a vital cog in our midfield, and even up top towards the end of the season. As you can see from his appearances, we never went a game without Devin playing minutes (5th most on the team) and it’s hard to imagine the 2021 season without him.
Ethan Vanacore-Decker:
As my friend, and fellow columnist, Ben Turner would say, #EVD4MVP!
Ben did a fantastic job making the case for Ethan as the 2020 League MVP. Let’s look at the stats I’ve been using to tell you all that he is a lock to be resigned.
EVD is the final player we had that appeared in all 16 matches, starting in 15 and playing 1,256 minutes (4th on the team in minutes played). Let’s be honest, Ethan’s offensive numbers are well known, he scored 3 goals this season and tied with Evan for total shots at 31. His shots on target were 12, giving him a 39% accuracy.
Passing is where EVD pushed his MVP candidacy. EVD completed 291 passes, 74% accuracy while also becoming the second ever League Assist Leader with 6 assists. Ethan also tallied 10 interceptions and attempted 9 tackles while winning 7.
2021 Verdict: Lock. Along with Evan and Devin, Ethan played in all 16 matches and won an individual award this season as well as being named to the USL League One Second Team. His 3 goals were all in crucial times, as were the majority of his 6 assists. There isn’t much more to say, EVD should be a lock to resign.
Sebastian Contreras:
Sebastian, or Sebas, started this season as our captain and a guaranteed starter throughout the season. He appeared in 15/16 matches this season, starting in 11 of those matches playing 906 minutes. Sebas scored a crucial penalty against Forward Madison to level the match and give us the draw at home. He attempted 5 shots total, with his only shot on goal being the converted penalty. Sebas also provided an assist.
Looking at the passing accuracy, Sebas completed 388 passes (71%). As a midfielder looking to connect the defense to the offense, this is a decent number, but it also ranks him 13th on the team in passing percentage and 5th amongst midfielders. Sebas also contributed 15 interceptions while attempting 28 tackles, winning 18.
2021 Verdict: Gone. At 30 years old, Sebas brought maturity and a veteran presence to a young team. He was given the captain’s armband at the start of the season for a reason. Sebas is a solid midfielder who will win tackles and intercept the ball. However, Sebas is who he is as a player. We’re not going to see a lot of progression at this point. The captain’s armband was also given to Sousa once the starts began to decline. We have players on this team that do many of the same things as Sebas and, with his likely hefty contract, I could see the team parting ways to allow for other midfielders to play and to bring in other players with the money saved.
JP Scearce:
Speaking of players that could take that role over, JP Scearce appeared in 14 matches, starting in 8 of them and playing 866 minutes. This season JP saw his playing time increase as the season wore on. JP contributed 2 goals and an assist this season.
JP completed 384 passes with a 69% completion percentage, that is close to Sebas’ passing accuracy numbers. JP contributed 9 interceptions while attempting 20 tackles, winning 12. Essentially JP matched Sebas statistics in almost 40 less minutes and is 8 years his junior.
2021 Verdict: Lock. I’m going out on a limb here and calling JP a lock, especially if the club decides to not renew Sebas contract. I don’t want to mark JP as the younger Sebas, but statistically speaking he contributes similar numbers while also being an aerial threat on set pieces and crosses. JP also worked his way into the squad as Sebas started seeing his time go down. That says much more about how JP progressed as the season went.
Tyler David:
Tyler David was another player that started the season in the starting line-up but saw his role reduce to substitute appearances towards the end. Tyler appeared in 13 out of our 16 matches and playing 754 minutes. Tyler attempted 4 total shots, with 2 on target, but did not score a goal or provide an assist.
Tyler’s role saw him taking on more of the defensive midfield role that Toby eventually took over, once he arrived. Tyler completed 288 passes (78.5% accuracy) while collecting 10 interceptions. He also attempted 10 tackles, winning 8 of those. If you’re looking for a defensive midfielder that helps shut down the opponent’s attack, while jump starting our own? Tyler ticks many of those boxes. He was able to intercept or successfully tackle at a high success rate and then get the ball moving for the offense. No better example of this then when Tyler won the tackle and got the ball to Elma on the game winning goal against Fort Lauderdale.
Tyler’s biggest intangible was his veteran presence. At 26 years old Tyler was a 2016 MLS SuperDraft selection and has been a professional since. He’s played for two USL-C sides and has played in Finland. This experience was not doubt beneficial to the team.
2021 Verdict: Mixed. With all the being said, I’m not 100% sure Tyler returns. He does bring a veteran presence and was one of our most vocal players throughout the season, both on and off the pitch. In a team that lacks professional experience, having a player like Tyler is immeasurable. If Sebas is truly gone, I see Tyler staying to continue as a veteran voice on the team. I don’t have a good argument to see him leave outside of having a few players that fill the role he was playing already on the team. This mixed verdict leans more towards the lock than the gone.
Toby Otieno:
Oh, what could have been if Toby was able to arrive when he was meant to. Visa issues and COVID derailed Toby’s arrival, and likely opened opportunities for other players early on. Toby only appeared in 5 matches, but he also started all 5 of those matches. He played 439 minutes in 5 matches, which is only 11 minutes short of 90 full minutes per match. Toby came in fit and ready to play. As one of the youngest players on the team, he showed immense professionalism.
During his time on the pitch Toby attempted 5 shots, with 1 on target. Let’s be honest, Toby wasn’t brought in because of his offensive prowess. He was brought on to be the defensive mid that could help spark our counterattack. Toby completed 168 passes, with a 79% completion percentage. While Toby did not contribute a goal this season, he was able to notch an assist.
Toby successfully intercepted the ball 11 times while attempting 21 tackles with 15 of those being successful. Toby’s stats in 5 games mirror those of other midfielders through 2 or 3 times as many!
2021 Verdict: Lock. Not only do the stats show that Toby should be a lock but he was robbed of a full season and will get the extension to show what he can do with a full slate of games. Look for Toby to be starting many more matches next season.
Manny Lira:
Manny was a trialist for several months and a mid-season addition. He did not appear in any matches this season.
2021 Verdict: Gone. Manny’s story was amazing, and his signing was a sign of what this team’s ambition to not only sign talent from across the globe, but also right here in our own backyard. I only say Manny is gone because I don’t know how he fits into the team’s plans moving forward. Would it surprise me if Manny came back next season? No, I think he’s the type of guy that pushes his teammates in practice but that doesn’t mean he’ll be resigned for 2021.
Xavier Gomez:
X was signed as a Free Agent, after the folding of Lansing Ignite. It was a homecoming for X having played at UNO before going pro. Unfortunately, we never got to see what X could do for us on the field. X spent the season with his family, after an incident here in Omaha.
2021 Verdict: Mixed. I wish I had a crystal ball on what the plans for X are or were. I can see Union Omaha bringing him back for 2021 to see how he fits in. He is a talented midfielder and was a key contributor to Lansing during the 2019 season. With that said, not knowing the circumstances around why X wasn’t with the team this season and not knowing what the coaches have in store, I’m not sure what to think. I’m putting mixed because this one is truly a mystery to me currently.
Final score: 4 locks, 2 mixed, and 2 gone. The midfield was stacked with talent and players. If we had one area where we had an excess of depth, it was in the central midfield. With Devin, EVD, Toby, and JP as locks to return, and possibly Tyler and/or X, I don’t see much of a drop off in 2021 around our midfield play. This is one area of the field that we seemed to be our strongest.
Let me know what you think! Do you think someone listed as mixed should be a lock? Or should they be gone? Should a lock really be listed as mixed?
Next time: Defenders
Who Gives A Hoot? 