On Thursday, USL Championship announced that Republic FC striker Kieran Phillips is a finalist for the USL Championship Player of the Month for September. Voting is open now through Monday, October 7 at 9:00 a.m. PT at USLChampionship.com. Fan voting comprises 51% of the poll, and the remainder will be conducted by the USL Technical Committee and National Media Panel.
Phillips has had the most consistent month of any player in the league, recording a scoring contribution in each of Republic FC’s five matches in September. He finished the month with three goals and two assists, and a pace of one scoring contribution every 38.4 minutes, which is the best mark for players with at least 90 minutes played.
In the club’s first outing of the month, Phillips helped open the scoring against Charleston Battery, turning on the ball to lay it off for a goal from Aldair Sanchez. A week later, he made an instant impact and found the back of the net just 65 seconds after subbing on, heading home a cross from Jack Gurr to secure a 2-0 win over Phoenix Rising FC.
This is Phillips’ first career Player of the Month nomination. He has been selected to the league’s Team of the Week three times, and was also voted the U.S. Open Cup Player of the Round for the Round of 16 (TheCup.us) after bagging a brace in the club’s 4-3 extra time win over MLS side San Jose Earthquakes on May 21. Teammate Danny Vitiello previously was named a Player of the Month finalist in June.
The 24-year-old Englishman joined Republic FC in April on loan from EFL Championship club Huddersfield Town and quickly showed his scoring prowess, recording a two-goal performance in his home debut on April 27. He now leads Republic FC with 10 goals in league play and is the fifth player all-time to reach double digits in his first season with the club. Including Open Cup, he has found the back of the net 13 times and now holds the record for the fastest Republic FC player to score 10 goals across all competitions (1,023 minutes).
With five regular season games remaining, Republic FC sits in second place in the Western Conference and is just three points away from clinching its 10th playoff berth in 11 seasons.
The club will be back in action this Saturday with a road tilt against San Antonio FC. Kickoff from Toyota Field is set for 5:30 p.m. PT and the match will be broadcast live in English and Spanish on Antenna TV 40.2, as well as streaming on FOX40.com and ESPN+. The club is also hosting a free watch party at MoJo’s Local Tap & Kitchen, featuring giveaways, drink specials, and more. For more information visit SacRepublicFC.com/WatchParty.
Republic FC has two more home games before the postseason, hosting Monterey Bay F.C. on $2 Beer Night on Wednesday, October 9 and Colorado Springs Switchbacks on Breast Health Awareness Night on Saturday, October 26. Kickoff for both matches is at 7:00 p.m. and tickets are available at SacRepublicFC.com/tickets.
