Here are your nominees for the Etihad Player of the Month for June 2023.
Luis Barraza
Handed the starting role moving into 2023, Barraza has grasped the challenge with both hands.
The shot-stopper has produced a number of crucial saves for NYCFC this season and carried that form through into June.
His comfort on the ball was matched with a quality that helped his teammates build out from the back and create dangerous opportunities in the final third.
Arguably his finest performance came against Real Salt Lake, where he made a string of top saves to maintain a clean sheet and hand NYCFC a point on the road.
Gabriel Pereira
The talented forward has dazzled fans with his silky skills on the wing, and in June he also found the net on two occasions.
Pereira’s brace against Atlanta United showed why he is so highly regarded, with his blend of trickery and composure bamboozling the Five Stripes' defence.
His eagerness to pull wide and isolate defenders in 1v1 situations is a major asset for Nick Cushing and also helps create space for his teammates.
A worthy nominee, Pereira will now be aspiring to break double figures for league goals in 2023.
Justin Haak
The academy graduate is proof that hard work does not go unrewarded.
A midfielder by trade, Haak has found success as a central defender in a back-three of late.
His new role has allowed him regular minutes in the first team, and Haak has shown why he can thrive in this new role.
Comfortable on the ball and distributing out of the back Haak’s intensity in duels has not gone unnoticed by his coach and has justly earned him this nomination.
