Vote: Orange County SC 2017 MVP

It’s that time again: Time to pick the Orange County SC MVP for 2017.

OCSC have completed their season, and while there will be more analysis coming from the season that was, one of the fun parts of the postseason is determining the best player.

As ever, we leave that decision up to the readers of Angels on Parade. Here are the five nominees for Orange County SC MVP in 2017, please vote and encourage others to vote.

Charlie Lyon

Lyon was the No. 1 in goal for Orange County throughout the season, starting all but two games across all competitions, leading the team in appearances. Lyon finished third in the league in saves, with 95, and tied for 11th in clean sheets, with seven. On balance, Lyon helped keep OC in far more games than they probably ought to have been in, and his steady play helped put out a number of fires during the season in the back.

Jerry van Ewijk

The Dutch import, in his first season in USL, paced the attack on the season, with eight goals in league play and another in the U.S. Open Cup. Van Ewijk played the most for Orange County among outfield players, and his versatile play linking the midfield to the forward line was vital in OC’s attack during the season.

Joe Franco

The defender showed a surprising versatility, playing across the backline, and was the most consistent defensive player over the course of the season. Franco was fourth on the team in minutes played for OC and was a fixture in the U.S. Open Cup run, Orange County’s longest since 2011. Franco also committed just eight fouls total on the season, and was never carded or sent off.

Carlos Alvarez

While the MLS veteran’s offensive output (two goals, two assists) were not eye-popping, Alvarez provided a vital role on-field as a leader and helped link the defense and the attack holistically. Most notably, when Alvarez was injured, Orange County’s performances were decidedly weaker overall without him.

Irvin Parra

Parra may have only played 10 games for Orange County, but the local native was extremely influential following his free transfer from Seattle Sounders 2. In that span he scored five goals and four assists, with Orange County scoring 14 goals total during that stretch, meaning he had a role in just under two-thirds of the goals scored. On the entire season, Parra became the first player in USL history to reach double digits in both goals and assists in a season.

So, who do you pick? The poll closes on Saturday afternoon.

What do you think? Leave a comment below!