The MLSNEXTPro.com editorial team, several league personnel, announcers, and clubs voted on the top performers across the league during September to declare a Team, Coach, Goalkeeper, Rising Star, and Player of the Month.
The voting process entailed performances from MLS NEXT Pro league matches from Sept. 1 to Sept. 30.
Here are the winners:
MLS NEXT Pro Team of the Month: Orlando City B
Orlando City B won all four games in September, allowing only two goals. The club’s attack is firing on all cylinders, with 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot winner Jack Lynn finding the net three times in September. Powerful fullback Alex Freeman has made a massive difference with seven goals and nine assists this season.
“It was important that September ended up the way it did for us,” Orlando City B coach Manuel Goldberg said. “It all happened at the right moment and now we have a great opportunity against Cincinnati this weekend. I’m proud of this team, players, staff, and everyone in the club for the overall dedication and support.”
This Sunday’s Decision Day match against FC Cincinnati 2 could be a revealing test. OCB has the opportunity to lock up third place in the Eastern Conference, but FCC2 also has something to play for with its race ongoing with Union II for first in the East.
MLS NEXT Pro Player of the Month: Alex Freeman
Few fullbacks in MLS NEXT Pro impact the game for their team as much as Alex Freeman, who earns September’s MLS NEXT Pro Player of the Month nod. Freeman, a reliable right defender for Manuel Goldberg’s side, helped OCB take four wins from September. With four goals and three assists in the past four games, Freeman has contributed to seven of the team’s 11 goals in that span. Defensively, he helped OCB earn two straight shutouts heading into this weekend’s Decision Day matchup with FC Cincinnati 2.
“It’s an honor to be Player of the Month and I'm glad I could showcase my talent in this league, but more importantly help my team succeed and gain momentum going into the playoffs,” Freeman said. “Vamos Orlando!”
The Baltimore, Maryland, native entered Orlando City’s academy in 2020 and quickly rose through the ranks. He signed a Homegrown deal with the club in 2022.
MLS NEXT Pro Coach of the Month: Michel Garbini
North Texas SC heads into Decision Day without any worries, thanks to an excellent 2024 MLS NEXT Pro regular season campaign. Michel Garbini earns September’s Coach of the Month honor after guiding the club unbeaten through September. North Texas set the pace in the Western Conference when it counted, finishing August and September undefeated.
“I give all the credit to the boys,” Garbini said. “If they don’t step on the field and do their job, something like this would be impossible to achieve. So I’m very happy to be Coach of the Month, but this is not the end. We’re still looking for a lot more and our job is not done yet.”
Garbini took over as coach in June, replacing John Gall, who stepped into the FC Dallas coaching staff. In the time Garbini has been in charge, the club has only lost three times. Known fondly by fans for his time as a player with FC Dallas, Garbini will look to lead North Texas to a memorable run in the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro playoffs.
MLS NEXT Pro Goalkeeper of the Month: Emi Ochoa
The Town FC lie third in the Western Conference heading into Decision Day. The club’s three-game winning streak is thanks largely to Emi Ochoa’s excellent performances in the previous three games, in which he’s recorded three clean sheets. The 19-year-old Mexican-American goalkeeper has earned six clean sheets in the 10 matches he’s played in MLS NEXT Pro this season.
“I’m honored to be named MLS NEXT Pro Goalkeeper of the Month,” Ochoa said. “At the same time, no one wins these awards by themselves. I want to thank the coaching staff and my teammates, especially on the back line. I feel like we’re peaking at the right time heading into the playoffs.”
Ochoa first joined the San Jose Earthquakes organization at 14 years old, becoming the second youngest player to sign a first-team contract in MLS. He extended his contract in August and has performed as one of the top goalkeepers in MLS NEXT Pro over the past three seasons.
MLS NEXT Pro Rising Star of the Month: Eddy Davis
One of the top players overall in MLS NEXT Pro this season, Philadelphia Union II’s Eddy Davis is MLS NEXT Pro’s Rising Star of the Month for the third time in 2024. Davis scored two goals and added one assist as he helped Union II take three wins out of four games during September.
“It’s a great honor,” Davis said. “I’ve put in a lot of work this season, but I’m grateful for the guys around me who set me up and put me in those positions to score a bunch of goals and help the team win. We still have a long way to go. Playoffs are coming, but I’m excited to get the honor.”
Davis, 18, raised his goal tally to 13 in the 2024 season. He’s played nearly 1,700 minutes and served as a key piece of a squad that is vying to enter the playoffs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
