TAMPA, Fla. – Goalkeeper Johan Peñaranda has been nominated for USL Championship Save of the Year for his stoppage-time penalty-kick save against Monterey Bay F.C., the league announced Monday.
With 16 nominees arranged in a group-stage format, Peñaranda’s save is placed in Group B alongside Raiko Arozarena (Las Vegas Lights FC), Eric Dick (Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC) and Koke Vegas (Rhode Island FC). Voting for the group stage is now open here until 4 p.m. CT on Friday, with each group winner advancing to next week’s final.
All Group B highlights, including Peñaranda’s penalty save, are available here.
The 24-year-old posted the game-saving effort on July 13, posting back-to-back saves off a penalty kick in the 90(+1) minute. Facing Ousseni Bouda, he laid out and deflected a low drive to the right of the goal before springing up and saving a rebounded attempt that floated near the top of the goal.
Peñaranda’s late-game heroics earned him USL Team of the Week 19 honors as he pitched a five-save shutout to secure a point on the road. The contest headlined a historic July that saw him earn USL Championship Player of the Month – becoming the first player in club history to secure the honor.
A native of Long Beach, New York, Peñaranda re-signed to a multi-year contract with FC Tulsa in November.
FC Tulsa is already prepping for its 2025 season at ONEOK Field, with Season Ticket Memberships on sale at https://www.fctulsa.com/2025-season-ticket-memberships/. For up-to-date announcements, follow @FCTulsa on Instagram, X and Facebook.
