Here are your nominees for the Etihad Player of the Month for May 2022.
Sean Johnson
The Club Captain has produced a series of top drawer performances during the month of May to cement his reputation in Major League Soccer.
Johnson played six times in MLS and produced six clean sheets during that time. While the scoreboard does a fine job of illustrating his role in helping the team go undefeated, a quick study of the team’s last game, against Minnesota United, will further highlight the point.
A terrific double save in the dying minutes of the game saw Johnson deny Emmanuel Reynoso from distance before tipping over a second effort from Robin Lod just seconds later.
Johnson had already secured his spot in Club folklore with his penalty heroics last season, but if the first few months of 2022 are anything to go by it looks like he has no sign of slowing down.
Keaton Parks
A key cog in the NYCFC engine room, Parks kicked off the month of May by notching his second goal of the season against San Jose Earthquakes.
His driving run and finish broke the deadlock at Yankee Stadium en route to a 3-0 win, and while he hasn’t scored any further goals it’s clear to see just how important he is to NYCFC.
A measured and composed passer of the ball, he connects the play and finds his teammates through the lines with fantastic precision. His four back-to-back starts in May saw the team register seven goals and concede none.
Parks will now be looking to build on that moving into the next phase of the season, and you’d be unwise to bet against him doing so.
Alex Callens
The towering defender has been a rock at the back for NYCFC during this unbeaten run of games and historic set of clean sheets.
Physically imposing and confident on the ball, Callens offers the Boys in Blue something on both sides of the ball. The month of May also saw the defender add his name to the scoresheet more regularly with two vital goals. The first – against D.C. United – opened the scoring and helped NYCFC to a 2-0 win in the nation’s capital.
Callens then finished the month off by scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win against Minnesota United. Callens has established himself as arguably the best defender in MLS this season, and he will be keen to maintain that reputation moving forward.
