Aaron Long has been named USL's 2016 Defender of the Year, an award that recognizes his role as the back-line leader for a team that didn't just win USL Cup, but also won the league's regular-season title.
New York Red Bulls II set regular-season records in USL for points (69) and goals scored (61), but also conceded the fewest league goals (21) and shutout opponents in 16 of 30 regular-season games. The defense was a big part of NYRB II's success, and Long was a big part of the II team's defense.