The USL All-League Teams were announced Tuesday afternoon and the Charleston Battery led all teams with four nominations. Center back Forrest Lasso was selected to the First Team and forward Romario Williams, midfielder Justin Portillo, and center back Taylor Mueller were selected to the Second Team.
In his first season as a consistent member of Head Coach Mike Anhaeuser’s starting XI, Lasso earned a spot on the USL All-League First Team. The center back finished second in the league among defenders in blocked shots with 27 and helped the team to 13 clean sheets. Lasso also posed a threat offensively throughout the season and finished with six goals.
Mueller captained the Battery side to their best finish in the USL era, playing all 2,970 minutes of Charleston’s 33-game season. The six-year veteran finished second in the league in clearances with 163 and recorded 59 interceptions and 27 blocked shots, matching his center back partner Lasso for second-most in the league. During the 2017 season, Mueller made his 140th appearance for the Battery, taking him to fourth all-time in Charleston’s record books.
Along with Mueller, Portillo appeared in every USL match and played every minute, anchoring the Battery midfield throughout the season. Portillo completed the third-most passes in the USL with 1,415, including 60 key passes. The New Orleans native scored six goals and added six assists, finishing third among Battery players in both statistical categories.
In his second year in the league, Williams earned Second Team honors despite appearing in only 22 games. The Atlanta United loanee scored 15 goals in his 22 appearances, averaging a goal every 114.3 minutes. During the 2017 season, Williams earned Team of the Week honors four times and the Player of the Month award in June.
