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VW Premier Performer Analysis: Giantsopoulos tops Week 20 showings

Each week of the Fall season, CanPL.ca will highlight the top five Volkswagen Premier Performers of the Week, while updating the overall standings as players from across the league compete to top the table and win a new Volkswagen Jetta GLI.


Here are the 5 VW Premier Performers of the Week:

1) Nik Giantsopoulos (Cavalry FC) – 86.45

Cavalry FC's Niko Giantsopoulos. (Tony Lewis/CPL).
Cavalry FC’s Niko Giantsopoulos. (Tony Lewis/CPL).

Niko Giantsopolous earns top marks again, this time from a Wildrose Cup-clinching win over FC Edmonton. There were two massive saves from Cavalry’s goalkeeper during that midweek Al Classico. One-on-one with Tomi Ameobi and a tricky free-kick late on, Giantsopoulos was big when called upon.

2) Akeem Garcia (HFX Wanderers FC) – 85.71

Man of the match HFX Wanderers FC attacker Akeem Garcia, post-game. (Trevor MacMillan/CPL)
Man of the match HFX Wanderers FC attacker Akeem Garcia, post-game. (Trevor MacMillan/CPL)

Akeem was a dream Sunday at Tim Hortons Field. Peppering the Forge FC net in the first half, Garcia used his pace to trample a leggy backline. Garcia eventually converted with a smart slicing finish after beating the line – one of a match-leading five shots.

3) Noah Verhoeven (Pacific FC) – 82.75

Noah Verhoeven of Pacific FC. (Photo: CPL).
Noah Verhoeven of Pacific FC. (Photo: CPL).

Pacific FC’s technical string-puller played left fullback against FC Edmonton … and it worked! Verhoeven looked comfortable outside of his typical midfield spot, converting two crosses with a team-leading 71 touches on route to a 1-0 win.

4) Ali Musse (Valour FC) – 81.85

Valour FC's Ali Musse. (James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports for CPL).
Valour FC’s Ali Musse. (James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports for CPL).

Routinely one of the top-scoring Premier Performer strikers, Ali Musse got amongst the Valour goal-fest Sunday in his ninth appearance on the season. His strike was a thing of beauty – losing his defender, smashing a one-hit left-footer with pace. He pressed well Sunday, too, contributing as one of seven Winnipegers on the pitch.

5) Simon Adjei (York9 FC) – 81.61

York9's Simon Adjei pushes past Pacific defender Lukas MacNaughton before scoring at Westhills Stadium. (Photo: Pacific FC).
York9’s Simon Adjei pushes past Pacific defender Lukas MacNaughton before scoring at Westhills Stadium. (Photo: Pacific FC).

York9’s no. 9 arrives via a midweek brace on VanIsle. Adjei’s second goal was a highlight; showing patience by stepping around a defender before thumping in an insurance marker. He contributed with three key passes, too.


Top 5 Overall

RANK PLAYER CLUB POINTS (Avg./match)
1 Marco Carducci Cavalry FC 80.12
2 Nathan Ingham York9 FC 76.33
3 Connor James FC Edmonton 75.98
4 Tristan Borges Forge FC 75.92
5 Ryan Telfer York9 FC 75.66

ANALYSIS: Small shuffle in Week 20, with Ryan Telfer dropping from third spot. With overall leader Marco Carducci away at CanMNT camp, and as Nathan Ingham and Connor James drop in average week-over-week, time is running out for the rest of the pack.

Download the Centre Circle app and submit your prediction for each week’s VW Premier Performer, and check out the full, position-by-position Volkswagen Premier Performer tables here.