The MVP Case For and Against 10 of USL League One’s Best
As the USL League One season heads into the homestretch, we finally have a decent idea of who could take home the league’s MVP award.
First, some history and context.
Going back to 2019, the MVP winner’s team has qualified for the playoffs in five of seven seasons. The exceptions: 2020, where Emiliano Terzaghi's fourth place Richmond would have qualified had the format not been condensed due to COVID-19; and 2025 MVP J.C. Obregón, whose Westchester SC side finished last.
The MVP has also won the Golden Boot in six of those seven seasons. The exception was 2019 winner Arturo Rodriguez of North Texas SC. His teammate Ronaldo Damus led the league in goals, while Rodriguez finished with eight goals and a league-leading ten assists.
Finally, every MVP has been an attacking contributor, either a forward or midfielder. Sorry to all the great defenders and goalkeepers out there, but defense just doesn’t win this award in League One.
Based on that history, the easiest prediction would be to simply pick this year’s Golden Boot winner. That race remains tight, with Charlotte’s Souaibou Marou leading with 11 goals, followed by Westchester’s Conor McGlynn and Madison’s Ryan Carmichael with ten each.
But we think team performance should matter. And unless someone is putting up record-breaking goal totals like Emiliano Terzaghi or Trevor Amann, overall goal contributions should matter too.
With that in mind, here’s the case for and against ten of the strongest candidates for the 2026 USL League One MVP award.
Luis Alvarez
Why He Deserves It
When healthy, Alvarez is the best player in the league. In just 15 appearances, the young midfielder has nine goals and four assists. Over a full season, that pace would put him around a whopping 28 goal contributions.
Even better for his MVP case, Charlotte is just a point off the top of the table and looks increasingly likely to finish in the top three.
Why He Won’t Win It
Two words: playing time.
Alvarez has already missed six matches through injury, including the last two. His production has been outstanding when available, but every additional absence makes his MVP case more of a “what if.”
Souaibou Marou
Why He Deserves It
Start with the obvious: Marou currently leads the Golden Boot race.
The Charlotte striker has 11 goals and is on pace to finish with at least 17. If history is any indication, winning the Golden Boot while playing for one of the league’s best teams is about as strong an MVP résumé as you can build.
Why He Won’t Win It
Hear us out, but Charlotte might actually be too balanced for Marou to keep his scoring pace.
With Stéfano Pinho joining an attack that already has plenty of scoring options, Charlotte doesn’t need to rely exclusively on Marou down the stretch. That’s great news for their title hopes, but it could allow someone else to pass him in the Golden Boot race.
Omar Hernandez
Why He Deserves It
Hernandez is flirting with something we haven’t seen before.
The Chattanooga midfielder is on pace for double-digit goals and assists. We checked the League One record books, and no player has ever finished a season with both.
That would make Hernandez’s MVP case pretty straightforward.
Why He Won’t Win It
The biggest obstacle might be Chattanooga itself.
The Red Wolves currently sit seventh and have slowly created some separation from the bottom half of the table. But if they stumble down the stretch and miss the playoffs, Hernandez could lose votes to players putting up similar numbers for contenders.
If Chattanooga gets in, expect Hernandez to be firmly in the MVP conversation.
Jerry Desdunes
Why He Deserves It
With eight goals and six assists through 20 matches, Desdunes is a huge reason AV Alta currently sits inside the playoff field after missing out last season.
His 14 goal contributions are tied for the league lead, and while he’s not quite on pace for double-digit assists, he could come close.
Why He Won’t Win It
Health could derail his case.
Desdunes exited early with an injury against the Cosmos on August 15 and hasn’t returned. If his season is over, or if he misses several more matches, his final numbers may not be enough to keep pace with the other candidates.
Regardless, he has one of the best stories in the league right now. After making his league debut with Northern Colorado in 2022, Desdunes was a free agent in 2023 and 2024 before working his way back to the professional level with AV Alta in 2025. Now he's in the conversation for MVP.
Jon Bakero
Why He Deserves It
Yes, Charlotte is so well-built that we have three of their players on this list.
Bakero is on pace to match the League One single-season assists record of 11 while also contributing five goals of his own so far.
If you’re looking for someone who makes an already dangerous attack even better, Bakero has a strong case.
Why He Won’t Win It
Historically, voters have valued goals more than assists.
Bakero could break or tie the assists record and earn an MVP nomination. But unless his goal total climbs considerably, it’s difficult to see him beating a Golden Boot contender.
Ollie Wright
Why He Deserves It
If Bakero is on pace to match the assists record, Wright could break it.
Assuming his current injury is minor, Wright could also finish with around 22 goal contributions. That would put him among the league’s most productive attacking players despite everything that has gone wrong around him.
Why He Won’t Win It
Portland might sink his candidacy.
Expectations were high after the club’s surprise run to the playoff semifinals last year, but Portland is currently on pace to miss the postseason entirely.
Wright has also had to deal with an injury-depleted supporting cast. If Portland’s attack continues to struggle, maintaining his current production will become increasingly difficult.
Ryan Carmichael
Why He Deserves It
Carmichael has perhaps the cleanest path to MVP.
He’s firmly in the Golden Boot race, on pace for 15 or 16 goals and leading the attack for one of the hottest teams in the league.
If Carmichael wins the Golden Boot and Madison earns a home playoff match, he’ll check nearly every box MVP voters have historically favored.
Why He Won’t Win It
Souaibou Marou.
If Carmichael and Marou remain close statistically while Charlotte finishes above Madison, the advantage could go to Marou.
For Carmichael, separating himself in the Golden Boot race might be the difference.
Ajmeer Spengler
Why He Deserves It
Spengler is tied for the league lead with 14 goal contributions and is on pace to finish with roughly 12 goals and nine assists.
He’s been one of League One’s best midfielders, and his steady production is a major reason the Cosmos have finally started showing signs of life.
Why He Won’t Win It
The Cosmos are still in last place.
J.C. Obregón proved last season that playing for the league’s worst team doesn’t automatically eliminate someone from MVP consideration. But Spengler probably needs either the Golden Boot or truly overwhelming numbers to overcome his team’s place in the table.
Right now, he has neither.
Blake Bowen
Why He Deserves It
A right back turned attacking midfielder who suddenly discovers his scoring touch under Head Coach Eamon Zayed? Where have we seen this before?
Arthur Rogers, anyone?
Bowen’s breakout has shades of the 2023 Golden Playmaker and MVP nominee. His production puts him in the neighborhood of players like Spengler and Carmichael, and a late Corpus Christi playoff push would make his case even stronger.
Why He Won’t Win It
As good as Bowen has been, this is a talent-rich MVP field.
Even double-digit goals and 18 or 19 total goal contributions might not be enough if Corpus Christi misses the playoffs and players ahead of him continue producing.
MVP or not, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Championship clubs calling after the season.
Conor McGlynn
Why He Deserves It
McGlynn could win the Golden Boot.
Sometimes the argument really is that simple.
With ten goals already, he’s on pace for around 15 and remains within striking distance of Marou at the top of the scoring chart.
Why He Won’t Win It
It probably won't be enough to push Westchester into the playoffs.
Last year, J.C. Obregón overcame a last-place finish to win MVP, but it would be surprising to see voters do the same thing in consecutive seasons.
If McGlynn wins the Golden Boot, he’ll have a case. But if Westchester misses the playoffs, he may need to win the scoring race convincingly to overcome his team’s struggles.
Honorable Mention: Diego Gonzalez
Gonzalez might be the biggest “what if” among players who arrived after the season began.
The midfielder has been on fire since joining Portland on loan in June. In just 11 appearances, he’s already tied for the team lead with six goals. Over a full season, that pace would put him around 17 or 18.
He arrived too late to build a realistic MVP case, but his production has been impressive enough that he deserves a mention.
MVP Race: Not Yet Settled
There are still enough matches remaining for this race to change dramatically. Injuries could knock contenders out, a late scoring run could push someone to the front and the final table could strengthen or destroy a few résumés.
For now, Marou and Carmichael have the advantage history usually rewards: lots of goals for teams near the top of the table. But Hernandez could make history, Wright and Bakero are chasing the assists record, and several others are one hot September away from changing the conversation.
The MVP race is taking shape. It’s nowhere close to being settled.
All images by the author
