Charleston Battery forward Ataulla Guerra has been named the USL Player of the Month after scoring five goals in six games in July. Guerra’s Player of the Month honor comes one day after head coach Mike Anhaeuser was named USL Coach of the Month.
Guerra scored a goal every 85.4 minutes to lead the Battery to a 5-0-1 record in July. The Trinidadian forward tallied two game winners including an 88th minute header that handed the Pittsburgh Riverhounds their second loss of the season. Guerra’s goal scoring form through the month of July moved him into a two-way tie for first place in the USL Golden Boot race with 12 goals.
“As a coach it is always great to see players perform like Ataulla did in July,” said Head Coach Mike Anhaeuser. “He really worked hard in preseason and the offseason and has proved to himself and the league that he can do more than just set up his teammates. We hope that he can keep this going all season.”
Guerra received 43 percent of a weighted poll that included the USL Technical Committee, a national panel of independent media representing every USL market and an online fan vote held at USLSoccer.com. Fresno FC’s Juan Pablo Caffa finished second with 25 percent.
USL Player of the Month – July
| Nominee | Fan Vote | Weight | Media Vote | Weight | USL Technical Vote | Weight | Total Weighted Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ataulla Guerra (CHS) | 12% | 6% | 48% | 11% | 100% | 25% | 43% |
| Juan Pablo Caffa (FRS) | 37% | 19% | 24% | 6% | 0% | 0% | 25% |
| Foster Langsdorf (POR) | 30% | 15% | 15% | 4% | 0% | 0% | 19% |
| Aodhan Quinn (OC) | 15% | 8% | 4% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 9% |
| Jared Stroud (NY) | 6% | 3% | 9% | 2% | 0% | 0% | 5% |
Guerra and the Battery return to action Saturday night when they take on Atlanta United 2 at MUSC Health Stadium.
SOURCE: charlestonbattery.com