MLS NEXT Pro names Columbus Crew 2’s Jacen Russell-Rowe the league’s Most Valuable Player for the 2022 2022 season on Friday. This comes after Russell-Rowe, who split time between the Black & Gold’s first and reserve teams, won the MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot and helped Columbus to the best regular season record and a spot in Saturday’s MLS NEXT Pro Cup Final.
When asked if he thought anyone else could win this award, Crew 2 head coach Laurent Courtois said, “I don’t see how anyone could get it besides Jacen, but good luck.” With 21 regular season goals and four assists, five more goals and four more assists than North Texas SC’s Bernard Kamungo, Russell-Rowe was clearly the frontrunner.