End of Season Report Cards: Part II

Yesterday we assessed the four most durable players on the squad; today we put the next group of four to the test.

Alex Crognale

Final Grade: B+

Alex missed 2 games this season, the first due to  suspension for a second yellow received in a silly off-the-ball incident in Tulsa, the second a few weeks later due to injury. That’s not the first time he’s been sent off for behavior like that; it happened once before in 2018 with the Columbus Crew and he got a 2-game suspension for it. He can be prone to dumb mistakes, but he is a solid defensive presence, racking up 246 defensive actions over the season, far more than any other player. He also scored a goal this year.

Zach Herivaux

Final Grade: A

Why the Legion allowed Zach to go back to San Antonio 2 years ago is a mystery, as he has become a key piece of the overall setup. Playing flexibly as a defender or defensive midfielder, he has been essentially an extra center back, protecting the final duo of Phanny and Alex. On top of that he got a goal and an assist. He played in 31 games total, starting 2. Little known fact about Zach: in addition to being Haitian, he is also Japanese. Does that make him the new legend?

Anderson Asiedu

Final Grade: A

The man everyone wants on their team for a game of keepaway, Ando missed 2 games this season due to injury, but was otherwise his normal durable self. He played a more attacking role as the season progressed, moving up from his historical defensive pivot position, leaving that to Zach. With that, he scored 2 clutch goals this season, double his total tally in the previous 3 years. That would be more (his conversion rate is a meager 6.5%) if he could learn to keep the ball down when shooting from distance, as he is more than happy to do.

Mikey Lopez

Final Grade: B

There are only 4 players who have been with the Legion since day one; the other 3 are MVO, Trevor Spangenberg and Prosper Kasim (Zach is also an OG, but left for a year). Mikey has 107 appearances in total, and has played in various positions, doing so ably in all. In 2022 he played in at least 5 different spots. However, he is prone to fouling, and was the team’s most carded player, accumulating 13 yellows, including 2 in 1 game against Louisville City. That got him 3 suspensions, and he was 1 card shy of a fourth. He recorded 2 assists this season but no goals, the first year he has failed to score wearing a Legion shirt.