Midfielder Yosuke Hanya has been named the MLS NEXT Pro Player of the Matchday for week six of the 2023 season, the league announced today. Hanya put up a dominant performance against North Texas SC, scoring his fifth goal of the season to boost him to a second place standing in the league’s scoring charts.
The Rapids found themselves in a precarious situation this weekend, going down by two goals in the early minutes of the second half against North Texas SC. It was leading goal scorer Hanya who gave the team its equalizer in the 63rd minute of the match, giving them the momentum they needed to score the game winner just a minute later off an assist from Hanya.
Hanya has started off the 2023 season in almost perfect form, having scored in all five matches he has appeared in for Rapids 2. The Japanese international leads the team with five goals on top of his two assists, which tie him with Blake Malone and Oliver Larraz for most assists on the team.
Entering his second year with Rapids 2, Hanya has just surpassed former Rapids forward Dantouma Toure for the all-time leading record for goals scored for the MLS NEXT Pro team with nine goals across the 2022 and 2023 season.
In his first season with the club, Hanya started in 22 matches, leading Rapids 2 in both games started and minutes. He put up four goals and three assists in the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season, earning him the title of the first-ever Rapids 2 Player of the Year.
