Homegrown and going places: Sporting KC’s Wilson Harris claims a top USL soccer honor
Sporting Kansas City’s latest homegrown talent, Wilson Harris, was named the 2020 United Soccer League’s Young Player of the Year Thursday afternoon.
After being named one of three finalists for the award on Oct. 29, Harris beat out San Antonio FC midfielder Jose Gallegos and Sacramento United FC defender Hayden Sargis.
Players born on or after Jan. 1 1998 were eligible.
“It’s a great honor,” Harris said. “Playing in the USL for three years now, it’s been something on my mind to be on the 2020 list but to get this is really top, I feel really, really happy and blessed.”
Harris signed a professional contract with Sporting Kansas City on Oct. 21 after a three-season stint with Kansas City’s USL affiliate, Sporting Kansas City II.
During his time with SKC II, Harris became the youngest player in league history to eclipse the 20-goal mark. Just 20 (he turns 21 Nov. 28), Harris is also the youngest in USL to score eight or more goals this season.
Even more impressively, he scored those eight goals on just 28 shot attempts. That’s a conversion rate of 28.6% — highest of any player who’s scored eight or more goals.
“I think things were just clicking on the offensive side,” Harris said. “A lot of times goals would come from me, and the wingers and that’s what I like to do, I like to combine with the wingers and try to create as many chances as possible. And when they go in it’s that much better.”
Harris joins an illustrious list of former USL Young Player of the Year winners, including former Sporting KC player Kharlton Belmar, Inter Miami goalkeeper John McCarthy and former San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Chris Wehan.
Several Sporting Kansas City II players have been Young Player of the Year finalists in recent years. Harris followed in the footsteps of 2018 finalists Wan Kuzain and 2019 finalist Felipe Hernandez.
“I have to give it up for my teammates, as well,” Harris said. “They’ve done so much for me over the years and really helped me adapt to the professional game.”
The award follows an abridged season in which USL teams like SKC II played just 16 games — many of them midweek on either side of weekend games, similar to the format for Major League Soccer in 2020.
Harris started 13 and helped lead SKC II to a fourth-place finish in USL Group E.
“It was a battle physically and mentally to try and get results on the road pretty much every weekend and during the week,” Harris said. “The guys did a great job. I think we came with a much more winning mentality this year and you could see it in our performances.”
With the USL season and now a nice award behind him, Harris is ready to move on with the Sporting KC first team. He’s aiming to score his first MLS goal in 2020 and go for double digits in 2021.
“To do it at my age, I just feel lucky but also happy with how things have turned out for my young career so far,” he said, “and I just want to keep going.”
This story was originally published November 5, 2020 at 2:45 PM with the headline "Homegrown and going places: Sporting KC’s Wilson Harris claims a top USL soccer honor."