TAMPA, Fla. – FC Tulsa goalkeeper Johan Peñaranda received league-wide recognition on Thursday, being named USL Championship Player of the Month of July, the league announced.
For Peñaranda, he earned the prestigious accolade two months after joining head coach Mario Sanchez and the club, while becoming the first FC Tulsa player ever to receive the award.
“This is a huge honor, especially considering what the past couple of months have looked like for me,” Peñaranda said. “From playing in League Two, getting signed here on a 25-day contract and then being signed for the remainder of the season, it’s been a journey. Thankfully, those clean sheets and these past performances have come with good results for us, so I think it’s great for both myself and the team to continue carrying that momentum.”
Peñaranda took the club to new heights in July, allowing just one goal across four appearances while logging 14 saves and three clean sheets. The 24-year-old narrowly missed a perfect month as his lone goal allowed came in extra time versus Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, but he responded, closing the month with a club record three-straight shutouts.
“It’s amazing to see someone like him receive these accolades,” said Sanchez. “Honestly, we continue to expect more from him as we move forward.”
A native of Long Beach, New York, Peñaranda joined the club midseason, signing a short-term agreement on June 7 after appearing in three matches for USL League Two club AC Miami. He made his first start with the club on June 19, posting three saves in a 2-1 win over Miami FC, and signed for the remainder of the season one week later.
Peñaranda has started in each match since, recording more clean sheets (4) than goals allowed (3) across seven contests.
“Whenever you have success, to that manner and that quickly, it’s good to be aware of it and allow yourself to be in tune emotionally and how you deal with that,” Peñaranda said. “Doing that has allowed me to continue to have success and focus on the present, be involved each day in training and then each match, enjoying every moment of it.”
Peñaranda’s presence was felt throughout the lineup in July and beyond. After falling to Colorado Springs, he helped flip the page against Monterey Bay F.C., earning Team of the Week 19 honors with a five-save shutout that was highlighted by a penalty kick save.
In the following two weeks, he shut out Memphis 901 FC, which leads the Western Conference in goals, and Indy Eleven, which ranks sixth league-wide in the category.
“Through his confidence in himself, and through his communication, he makes the game easier for other players,” Sanchez said. “Good goalkeepers have to make saves, but they actually make the game look easy. They organize ahead of the game so hopefully, they don’t have to make that many saves.
“He commands his box, he commands his teammates, and he has a very strong presence on the field.”
Following a historic 3-1 win at San Antonio FC, which marked the club’s first win at San Antonio in 10 tries, to open the month, Peñaranda and the club will look to position themselves for another milestone in August.
“For us, it’s very clear – we want to make the playoffs this year,” Peñaranda said. “We will make the playoffs this year. Achieving that is our first goal in continuing to build the club and this group of guys we have right now.”
Peñaranda and FC Tulsa return to ONEOK Field on Friday, August 9, at 7:30 p.m. CT to take on Orange County SC. The club will host Pearl Beach Brew Pub $1 Beer Section Night and the club’s only home match in August while coverage will air on ESPN+ and Cox Channel 3. For tickets visit, fctulsa.com/tickets.
