Making the Case: Wil Trapp, 2018 Male Player of the Year​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‍‌‍​‍‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‍​​‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‌​‌​​‍​​​​‌‍‌​​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌​‌‌‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‍​​​​​​‌​‍‌‌‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‌​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‍‍​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌‍​​‌‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​​‌​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‍‌‍​‍‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‍​​‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‌​‌​​‍​​​​‌‍‌​​‍‌‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌​‌‌‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‍​​​​​​‌​‍‌‌‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‌​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‍‍​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‌

On Tuesday, Nov. 20, U.S. Soccer announced the five nominees for 2018 U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year. This year's nominees include midfielders Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Will Trapp; defender Matt Miazga and goalkeeper Zack Steffen.

ussoccer.com continues “Making the Case” for each of the candidates with MNT midfielder Wil Trapp.

The 25-year-old midfielder had just two caps at the start of 2018, but his presence and leadership qualities made him the right person to wear the captain’s armband and lead the side through its transitional year.

A fixture in the lineup throughout 2018, Trapp captained the USA in eight of his nine appearances, finishing tied with Bobby Wood for most MNT caps in 2018, while his 714 minutes led all 53 players who took the field.

WATCH: Wil Trapp’s Late Winner on July 21 vs. Orlando City SC

Let's see this beauty one more time 😍
Congrats on winning @MLS' Goal of the Week, @wil_trapp! 👏

⭐️ https://t.co/o5L0nTRdda #CrewSC pic.twitter.com/s0XUYsC2oD

— Columbus Crew SC (@ColumbusCrewSC) July 26, 2018

Trapp also ended 2018 as the only MNT player to earn multiple Budweiser Man of the Match awards, taking the honor in the USA’s 1-0 victory against Paraguay on March 27 in Cary, N.C. and the 1-1 draw with Peru on Oct. 16 in East Hartford, Conn.

On the club side, the stout holding midfielder received MLS Goal of the Week honors for his stoppage-time winner from distance on July 21 against Orlando City SC. Trapp appeared in 30 regular season matches for Columbus Crew SC, captaining the side back to the MLS Cup Playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons.

Wil Trapp - 2018 Statistics
Team	GP	GS	MIN	G	A
U.S. MNT	9	8	714	0	0
Columbus Crew SC (All Competitions)	33	32	2919	1	0

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