Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

Welcome back to the 2019 USL mega preview series, covering every single one of the 36 teams contesting the 2019 USL Championship season. If you missed Part I, go check it out here.

We left off halfway through the Western Conference, so we’ll pick up right there and dive in.

Phoenix Rising FC

Everything finally clicked for Phoenix in 2018 thanks to some help from Didier Drogba and the emergence of Rick Schantz as permanent head coach. Since-departed Patrice Carteron built up a smart, well-disciplined system for Schantz to inherit, and the handover took place as smoothly as it possibly could have. The frenetic pace that Phoenix showed in the spring cooled off just a touch in the middle of the summer, but the club lost back-to-back games just twice all season and cruised through the playoffs.

Honestly, other than those anomalies to close out the regular season, the chaos in the Open Cup against Sporting Arizona FC and championship loss, there weren’t any standout “bad” moments for Phoenix in 2018. With that, the vast majority of the roster is back, a positive reassurance to the fans that they’re going for the championship again this season.

Only six players have departed, and excluding Didier Drogba, who retired, and Kody Wakasa joining their League One affiliate in Tucson, it’s really just four. Losing Billy Forbes and Kevaughn Frater hurts offensive depth, but bringing in Ben Spencer and Adam Jahn leaves Phoenix more than covered. The only loss that I’m concerned about is Chris Cortez. His 21 goals and six assists across the entire season are tough to recover from. Solomon Asante is the logical successor for that role, even if he’s not a true drop-in replacement for Cortez, and I firmly expect him to lead the team in goals scored.

In the midfield, the additions of Jose Aguinaga and Junior Flemmings only bolster one of the strongest offenses in the entire league. Both moves absolutely scream “we’re winning this thing this year” right at Louisville. Swap those two in for Drogba and Frater from their championship lineup, let Asante push forward as Aguinaga drops back and you have a team that runs circles around Louisville and wins that game.

Off the field, fan support continued to grow, and Phoenix now faces an issue so many teams would kill for: their stadium is too small. They managed a crowd of 7,707 against Swope Park in the playoffs, 1,500 above listed capacity. As they ride this momentum and keep improving on and off the field, they’ll need to think about expanding soon. Maybe we’ll see them break ground on that MLS-spec stadium this year.

Prognosis: Write them in for the conference final. In pen.

Portland Timbers 2

• Founded: 2014
• First USL season: 2015
• Home stadiums: Merlo Field (4,892), Providence Park (21,144)
• Head coach: Cameron Knowles (second season)
• MLS affiliate: Portland Timbers
• 2018 record: 17-4-13, +9 GD, 55 points, sixth in West, lost first round
• 2018 attendance: 2,015, 27th, -20.2 percent from 2017

Carrying on what I started in Part 1, we won’t be recapping the true II teams’ seasons, instead focusing on developing players who made a difference in the USL last season, those who are ready to jump to MLS in the near future and those to keep an eye on for the 2019 USL season.

Foster Langsdorf was the standout attacking player for the Saplings last season, scoring 14 goals in 30 games before going down with a right lateral meniscus tear. He successfully underwent surgery in November and has been back for much of preseason. Knee injuries are always tough, and there’s that lingering anxiety of a re-injury, but he’s already looking like his usual self. There’s a few guys ahead of him on the depth chart for the senior team, but he’s exactly the sort of player to get some minutes in the Open Cup and late in the regular season. If Dairon Asprilla and/or Lucas Milano get sold at the end of the season, Langsdorf might end up starting in a year’s time.

Carlos Anguiano, one of the recent stars of the Timbers Academy, has signed his first professional deal with T2 despite having already registered 706 minutes in the USL the past two seasons. In his limited appearances last year, he showed promise if a lack of polish, and it’s a definite vote of confidence from Savarese to see him signed by the organization. He’s comfortable as both a winger and central midfielder with solid passing accuracy, especially at close range. I could see him one day taking over for Andy Polo on the right wing in MLS.

Much has already been said about Jeremy Ebobisse, who spent much of his time in the USL the past two seasons. Solid play with T2 in 2018 helped him fight his way back into the first team and there’s reason to believe he’ll be a regular in MLS in 2019.

Niko de Vera was picked up from Red Bulls II after playing for the League Two U-23 Timbers from 2015 to 2017. He was drafted from Akron in the 2018 SuperDraft, looking good but unspectacular for the Baby Bulls. He’ll be back in the system where he showed a lot of promise in years prior, and with T2 moving on from Batista, Mulligan, Phillips and Smith, he’s got an easy road to starting in the USL. He’s another guy who could end up playing the odd Open Cup game or the late-season, pre-playoff games where the starters get rested. Still have hopes for him yet.

Finally, Marvin Loria and Renzo Zambrano were both promoted to the first team ahead of 2019 and both impressed in the USL last season. With Sebastian Blanco and David Guzman getting older, those two make sense as mostly drop-in replacements in midfield.

Prognosis: Pay attention to Anguiano and de Vera in particular in 2019.

Real Monarchs SLC

The Monarchs have been an oddity among II teams in that they’ve been just as concerned with winning games as developing players, leading to some of the most exciting and effective soccer in the league. However, they’ll be a radically different team in 2019.

First up, Martin Vasquez is in as the new permanent head coach following the departure of Mark Briggs. Sebastian Velazquez and Chandler Hoffman are both gone, too.

Justin Portillo won a shot at the first team following another impressive season in which he scored twice, logged seven assists and played more than 2,700 minutes for the second USL season in a row. He joined the Monarchs from Charleston after the 2017 season and was an immediate standout, showing incredible passing accuracy. His comfort in transition and on counterattacking plays was vital for the Monarchs throughout the season. He’s only 26, too, so he could have several good years for Petke with the first team yet.

Two players to watch in 2019 are Steve Jasso and Jordan Pena, both signed to the Monarchs from the RSL Academy. Both previously played for the Real Salt Lake Arizona youth programs in the USSDA before joining the primary academy team in Utah at the U-18/19 level for the 2017-18 season. Pena is a tough, true No. 6 midfielder with a great defensive mindset and disruptive capabilities. He’s exactly the sort of player I’d like to see succeed Kyle Beckerman in the next few years. Jasso, meanwhile, is primarily a right back who has spent some time at center back and right wing. He reminds me of FC Dallas’ Reggie Cannon in lots of positive ways, showing defensive reading beyond his years and comfort pushing forward as needed. Looking at how Petke has used Brooks Lennon with the first team, Jasso is exactly the sort of player RSL will want to keep around, especially if they get a massive offer for Lennon from Germany.

In goal, Andrew Putna now stands as RSL’s top ‘keeper prospect and first in line for the House of Rimando. Putna has generally been the bench ‘keeper for RSL in MLS and has only played seven USL games the past two seasons, but I like what I’ve seen from him and he’s shown himself to be mostly MLS ready. I rate him higher than former Monarchs goalkeepers Jake Leeker and Connor Sparrow, and I feel like working with Rimando will only help him grow.

Prognosis: PEOPLE OF UTAH: GO WATCH THIS TEAM.

Reno 1868 FC

• Founded: 2015
• First USL season: 2017
• Home stadium: Greater Nevada Field (9,013)
• Head coach: Ian Russell (third season)
• MLS affiliate: San Jose Earthquakes
• 2018 record: 16-11-7, +18 GD, 59 points, fifth in West, lost conference semifinal
• 2018 Attendance: 5,066, 10th, -8.9 percent

Reno’s sophomore season wasn’t quite as explosive as 2017, but Ian Russell’s squad was once again highly effective. Despite starting off slow, after four games it looked like they might never lose again. From April 21 until July 28, Reno won 10 and drew six without a loss, and became *the team* to beat. They then went into a bit of a slump, losing three of four, but rallied to finish the season with a seven-game unbeaten streak. The club ended the year by advancing one round further in the playoffs, making for a very solid season indeed, even if they lost to Sacramento in the Open Cup again.

Unfortunately, several major players aren’t coming back for 2019, the most notable being Antoine Hoppenot. Hoppenot was a juggernaut for Reno, scoring five goals and leading the team with 13 assists. Only he and Brian Brown started every game, and the two of them were responsible for nearly half the team’s goals. Brown, though, will be back, and after scoring 18 goals in 2018, can only grow from here. He’s only 26, just reaching the prime of his career, and finally looked comfortable and at home in Russell’s system. He definitely looked and played his best at the tip of Russell’s slightly unusual 4-1-2-1-2 with Hoppenot out wide and van Ewijk just behind. To replace them, they’ve signed Corey Hertzog from Saint Louis and Raul Mendiola from Las Vegas. Hertzog fits into Hoppenot’s spot pretty nicely even if it isn’t an upgrade, while Mendiola in a lot of ways makes more sense than van Ewijk, who always seemed more comfortable out on the wing. If those two can combine for 12 goals and 15 assists, Reno will be just fine. And they just might.

In defense, Reno retains all three of Brent Richards, Zach Carroll and Duke Lacroix, while adding Benjamin Galindo Jr. on loan from Guadalajara. That right there is the new Almeyda-era Quakes trickling down to the USL level, and I’m all for it. Between him, Fioranelli and Leitch, Reno will have no shortage of talented young players on the field in 2019. Expect to see JT Marcinkowski and Matt Bersano get loaned out once again, and I’d be shocked if Jacob Akanyirige, Gilbert Fuentes and Siad Haji don’t end up with hella USL minutes.

Prognosis: It feels like the new-found connection with the Quakes will benefit Reno in a big, big way.

Rio Grande Valley FC Toros

• Founded: 2015
• First USL season: 2016
• Home stadium: H-E-B Park (9,735)
• Head coach: Gerson Echeverry (second Season)
• MLS affiliate: Houston Dynamo
• 2018 record: 8-14-12, -6 GD, 38 points, 13th in West
• 2018 attendance: 4,650, 14th, -34.3 percent from 2017
• Name: still too long

The first season in RGVFC history was electric, as the debutants finished second in their conference, but hardly anyone was there to see it. In their second season, attendance skyrocketed as the quality of play dropped. When I said last year they needed to bring those two seasons together for 2018, I didn’t mean play bad soccer in a half-empty stadium.

Which is exactly what they did.

RGV limped through preseason, won just one of their first 17 games and had just 13 points halfway through the season. And then, things started to get better. They won twice in July, thrice in September and finished with a 50-point pace across the second half of the season. Echeverry managed to get things figured out enough to keep his job, and generally speaking, they looked not all that bad by October.

As is the case when any quasi-reserve team has a bad season, loads of players are gone for 2019, with nearly half the roster not returning. The only name that stands out to me is Todd Wharton. Despite a major lack of cohesion in midfield, Wharton managed to pull a five-goal, five-assist season out of seemingly nothing and was consistently one of the best players on the field. He showed clear signs of improvement on offense while maintaining pretty good stats in midfield, and it kinda sucks to see him leave. He’s off to Timbers 2, though, which could end up being good for him long term.

As expected, most of the players coming in are coming from the academy, with four more youth players set for USL minutes this season. One of them, Wilmer Cabrera Jr., is actually the son of the Dynamo’s head coach, and finally gets a contract after playing 725 minutes in 2018 alongside his brother David. Wilmer Jr. is still figuring out the professional game, but despite his limited playing time was starting to show some promise by the end of the year. A more organized midfield could be a real game changer for him.

Zach Jackson joins out of college having previously spent time in the Houston academy, and still could be a promising defender yet. He’s a bit too old to call him a prospect, but not long ago he was still an anchor in Furman’s back line. I’m keeping an eye on him.

Prognosis: It’s only up from here, right? Probably. Maybe.

Sacramento Republic FC

Following a rather disappointing 2017 season, Sacramento hired Simon Elliott, MLS veteran and former New Zealand international, as head coach, and former MLS standout Todd Dunivan as general manager. Both immediately impressed me with how they reorganized the Republic into a leaner, tougher and more defensively sound team. Sacramento began the season with a seven-game unbeaten streak, lost just three of their first 15 and closed out the season comfortably with four wins in a row. They lost back-to-back games just once, and lost by more than two goals on just one occasion. In the Open Cup, they picked off Reno and Seattle before nearly forcing extra time against LAFC, and despite a loss in the first round of the playoffs, can claim 2018 as their second-best season to date.

A retooled midfield let Cameron Iwasa shine to the tune of 17 goals and six assists, with Villyan Bijev laying claim to his starting spot as Iwasa’s strike partner. Mitchell Taintor and Shannon Gomez were defensive beasts who showed a strong ability on counterattacks, while Josh Cohen was absolutely phenomenal in goal all season. And the best part: they’re all coming back. Related to the old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” there’s “if it’s basically perfect, don’t touch it, don’t look at it, don’t even think too hard in its direction,” and that’s exactly what Dunivant has done. They’ve not just maintained their entire core, they’ve added to it in smart, specific ways that make them all the more dangerous.

Stefano Bonomo joins from Tampa Bay, giving them a fantastic second option behind Iwasa, while Tyler Blackwood’s wing play at Swope Park fits well into Elliott’s system. It’s not a stretch to think that combined, those two can get close to 20 goals and 20 assists for 2019, which puts Sacramento firmly in the conversation for the championship. Greek defender Charalampos Chantzopolous joins from KPV in Finland, and although he might not be starter ready just yet, he’s only 24 and has some solid defensive chops. Speaking of defense, Sacramento has also added Dekel Keinan from Cincinnati and Matt Mahoney from Bethlehem, adding a veteran leader and a promising prospect in one move that makes an already dominant back line even stronger. Basically, the only thing standing between Sacramento and a championship is facing Swope Park in the playoffs.

Prognosis: Can someone beat Swope Park for us so we don’t have to deal with them again? Thanks.

San Antonio FC

• Founded: 2016
• First USL season: 2016
• Home stadium: Toyota Field (8,400)
• Head coach: Darren Powell (fourth season)
• MLS affiliate: New York City FC
• 2018 record: 14-8-12, -3 GD, 50 points, ninth in West
• 2018 attendance: 6,939, sixth, -3 percent from 2017

San Antonio was frustrating to watch in 2018. They started the season looking good but not great, hit a real stride in July, completely fell apart for most of August and ended up just outside the playoffs. They’d win two, draw two, win four, lose four and just never found a meaningful consistency. Darren Powell did some great stuff in 2017, but I began to lose confidence last season and that hasn’t changed.

As expected, they’ve gone and cleaned house, retaining just five players. Ever Guzman led the team with 11 goals despite missing seven games and was the closest they had to a consistent finisher. Lance Laing has been signed permanently from Cincinnati following a five-goal, six-assist campaign. Rafa Castillo has been arguably San Antonio soccer’s most important player since joining the Scorpions back in 2014, even if he’s turning 39 this year, and it’s nice to see him get a chance to raise another trophy. Brazilian defensive midfielder Pecka is back, another re-signing I like, as he’s been an important disruptive presence for the past two seasons.

In goal, they’ve retained Matt Cardone, a decision that can best be described as questionable. He was clearly the second-choice keeper behind Diego Restrepo until Restrepo got hurt, and while he wasn’t terrible, it was a visible step down. They’ve also added Jonathan Viscosi from TPS in Finland as another option, and honestly, I think he might be the better choice for starter.

To solve their issues with midfield and the back line, they’ve signed loads of new options, including Joshua Yaro from Philadelphia, Walter Restrepo (he’s back!) from Colombia, Amer Didic from SKC, Jack Barmby from Portland and Cristian Parano from Argentina. All rather sensible picks, with Parano standing out as a potentially huge signing for them. Parano is 19, he played for Boca, River Plate and San Martin’s youth systems, and — potential hot take — could become San Antonio’s Mauro Diaz this season. I’ve enjoyed watching him through preseason and I think the kid has a bright future.

That said, the biggest offseason acquisition, in my eyes, is Alen Marcina as assistant coach. I’ve been riding the Marcina hype train for years now, and I feel like San Antonio is preparing for him to replace Powell should things go wrong. Lest we forget, San Antonio’s most recent soccer trophy came under Marcina.

Prognosis: Honestly, just give me Alen Marcina. The dude can coach.

Tacoma Defiance

• Founded: 2014 (as Seattle Sounders 2)
• First USL season: 2015
• Home stadium: Cheney Stadium (6,500)
• Head coach: Chris Little (first season)
• MLS affiliate: Seattle Sounders
• 2018 record: 6-7-21, -31 GD, 25 points, 16th in West
• 2018 attendance: 3,370, 19th, +226.2 percent from 2017

Seattle has gone all-in on Tacoma, with plans for a new stadium for both the rebranded Defiance and Reign in the NWSL. I’m all for this, not just because they’re a little bit weird with their Kraken branding, but because it’s just better for these sorts of teams to take this approach (See: RGV, Bethlehem, Loudoun and Reno — sort of).

They’ve also brought in Chris Little to replace John Hutchinson, which is such a smart move. Little has served as the academy director for the Sounders since 2017, and if anyone knows the ins and outs of their prospects, it’s him. Last year was rough for the Soundlings, leading the conference with a crushing 21 defeats, and that’s probably why Hutchinson is gone. That said, there were a few standout players I’m keeping my eye on for 2019.

Denso Ulysse, a Haitian youth international defender who signed with the team back in 2017, was easily one of the top defenders on the team most of last season — even when they were getting stomped — and he’s got a high ceiling. Nick Hinds, another promising young defender, is back from a stint at Akron University and looks to be firmly committed to the Sounders cause for the future. Australian midfielder Jesse Daley is back for another season after becoming a vital piece of the central midfield.

They’ve also brought in four more academy players, with midfielders Danny Leyva and Josh Atencio and forwards Danny Robles and Alec Diaz joining the team. Leyva is quick, clever and can score just as well as he can pass, and looks like he’ll be a stud playmaker in a few years time. Atencio has spent time at both defender and defensive midfield. He’s also been playing “up a year” in the USSDA, without any signs of trouble. If you’re looking for a young replacement for Ozzie Alonso, look right here. Robles has played as an attacking midfielder, winger and forward, and looks pretty comfortable just about anywhere in the front of the field. He’s got competition for his spot in MLS, but he’s still very young and has time to prove himself. Diaz, though, is the one I’m most interested in, as he’s the best-scoring forward prospect in the Seattle system. In just 10 USSDA games this season he already has 13 goals, and he’s the natural fit to fill the void left by Clint Dempsey. I’ll be shocked if he’s not playing in MLS in 2020.

Prognosis: #PlayYourKids, people.

Tulsa Roughnecks FC

• Founded: 2013
• First USL season: 2015
• Home stadium: ONEOK Field (7,833)
• Head coach: Michael Nsien (first season)
• MLS affiliate: Chicago Fire
• 2018 record: 3-12-19, -41 GD, 21 points, 17th in West
• 2018 attendance: 3,094, 21st, -19.7 percent from 2017

The last line I wrote about Tulsa in 2018 says it all: blow it up and rebuild. The 2018 season was an absolute disaster. Tulsa didn’t win a game until June 27, didn’t win a second one until August and had two four-game losing streaks during the season. They scored just 36 goals, allowed a breathtaking 77 and looked utterly hopeless for most of the year. Head coach David Vaudreuil got sacked on June 25 with the team firmly at the bottom of the West. Michael Nsien was named as the interim head coach and managed to at least win three games, which apparently was good enough to keep him for 2019. I’m not sure that was the right move, but time will certainly tell.

Tulsa really did completely blow it up at the end of the year. Only one player is back for 2019: D.J. Dean. He’s only 20 and played just 403 minutes last year, but Nsien must like what he saw to keep him around. Or maybe he didn’t want to cut literally everyone.

Tulsa’s approach for their 2019 roster is a mix of international signings, USL veterans, free agents and young kids right out of college. There’s so much change it’s impossible to know where to begin, so I’ll try and cover as much as we know about how Tulsa might look.

Mallan Roberts, Matthew Sheldon and Cyprian Hendrick have signed to anchor the back line, and all three guys have USL experience doing just that. They’ve also brought in Moses Makinde from Sweden’s Syrianska. They’ve looked solid in preseason with a few shaky moments late in games, but nothing that some familiarity and training can’t hopefully resolve.

Christian Altamirano looks to be playing the quintessential 10 roll for Tulsa, not far removed from doing just that for some of the biggest clubs in Honduras. Manny Gonzales impressed me several years ago during his time with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, and he’s the right sort of holding midfielder Tulsa needed last season.

In goal, they’ve gone with Sean Lewis as the first choice who was decent enough for Jacksonville and Penn FC in recent seasons. He’s not a star sort of player, but he’ll be good enough for 2019.

As for their attendance, I’m hoping that an improved team capable of winning at least four games will get the fans interested again. It looks bad, but it’s not a death sentence.

Prognosis: If we rebuild it, will they come back? And will it even work?

This concludes Part II of the 2019 USL mega preview. Next up, we tackle the top half (alphabetically) of the Eastern Conference.

Follow John on Twitter: @JohnMLTX.

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WESTFIELD, Ind. — In the second installment of Soc Takes TV presented by Sogility, co-hosts Nipun Chopra and Kevin Johnston run the gamut on the Indy Eleven, Indiana men’s soccer, both U.S. national teams, the 2019 Women’s World Cup, Christian Pulisic’s reported move to Chelsea and more.

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Photo credit: Andy Witchger

Once upon a time, in the land of the Inca culture, a talented young man was disputing a U-17 World Cup. Born in Mexico but with Brazilian blood in his veins, Giovani Dos Santos impressed the soccer world with his speed, dribbling and the educated touch he possessed.

His physicality, charisma and the way he developed on the pitch made him look exactly like a younger Ronaldinho that came from a different side of the equator.

As a teenager, Dos Santos was a phenom. Emerging from La Masia, and with a U-17 world title, Gio disputed his first official match in La Liga with Barcelona FC in September 2007 when Frank Rijkaard sent him to substitute for Thiery Henry.

And god! He did look like another Ronaldinho in potential. They were so similar and compatible that the Ballon d’Or winner decided to stand by Dos Santos, like a godfather.

However, Dos Santos learned more about Ronaldinho’s dark side. He consumed the same demon that left Dinho out of the elite.

In the summer of 2008, in a battle between three Premier League clubs, Dos Santos signed for Tottenham. The club presented him and an unknown Croatian player named Luka Modric on the same afternoon in June.

Dos Santos’ name appeared in the article “The best young talents of football” published by Spanish magazine Don Balon. Although, London remembers more scandals than Gio’s ability as a footballer.

And that’s how Giovani’s instability in the football world began: Ipswich Town, Galatasaray, Racing de Santander and Mallorca. He was part of four teams in four years.

After a decent year in Mallorca, Dos Santos joined Villarreal. He performed better; he was gaining minutes in La Liga and had the opportunity to play with his brother, Jonathan.

It seemed that Giovani was recovering from his demons. It looked like football was giving him a second chance to redeem himself when suddenly, the glamour of Los Angeles knocked on Gio’s door. A $6 million check was waiting, and at 26 years old he became a Designated Player for the LA Galaxy.

In the peak of his career, Dos Santos left Europe to join MLS. The comfort granted by the Galaxy captured Gio’s attention more than the redemption of his future in the elite of football.

Instead of playing, selling jerseys became Gio’s hobby. His name always appeared on the top-selling MLS jerseys list, even when he only appeared in 13 games in his last MLS season.

It was clear that Dos Santos didn’t belong in MLS, and the LA Galaxy discharged him from the only title that he achieved in America, Designated Player. The Galaxy terminated Dos Santos’ contract. In three years, Gio couldn’t prove anything beyond a marketing boost.

The memory of that 16-year-old kid lifting a World Cup trophy in Peru is gone. This is another promising story that never fulfilled. A talented lad who joined Barcelona in 2002 and made his debut at age 18, but never exploited his talent.

Mismanagement by his parent/agent, Zizinho, and the excesses turned Gio’s career into uncertainty. He was like a golden boat without course, just following the waves hoping to find the shore.

Dos Santos will be another empty name in football. He will be remembered as an illusion — a player that we wanted to witness, but never became a reality.

Follow Luis on Twitter: @LFulloa.

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WESTFIELD, Ind. — Sogility, a new indoor soccer-specific training facility just north of Indianapolis at 16462 Southpark Drive Suite A, held its grand opening Sunday. Sogility’s concept incorporates three training elements: TOCA Football touch trainers, Jon Busch’s High Performance Goalkeeping (HPG) and IFAST’s sports performance training.

Busch and Indy Eleven players Jordan Farr, Dylan Mares and Brad Ring were on hand to demo the facility’s services and connect with attendees. Take a look at our gallery from Sogility’s grand opening:

Follow Robbie on Twitter: @RobbMeh.

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WESTFIELD, Ind. — Co-hosts Kevin Johnston and Nipun Chopra size up the latest colossal news spewing out of Indy Eleven headquarters before venturing on to national and global soccer in Episode 3 of Soc Takes TV presented by Sogility.

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WESTFIELD, Ind. — Co-hosts Kevin Johnston and Nipun Chopra bring you the first-ever episode of Soc Takes TV presented by Sogility via the ISC Sports Network. Episode 1 covers Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, Columbus Crew SC, Louisville City FC, Indy Eleven, Butler women’s soccer, Indiana men’s soccer and more.

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Welcome back to the finale of our four-part 2019 USL Championship mega preview! It’s been a long, long journey and we appreciate you sticking around for the ride.

This time, we’ll be wrapping things up with the last nine teams to cover in the Eastern Conference. If you haven’t been following along, or want to look back at the previous installments, click the links below:

And with that, once more into the fray!

Memphis 901 FC

Memphis is the last of the seven freshman teams to get covered, and they’re doing a lot of things right. First up, they’re locally owned by sports people, with Tim Howard as a minority partner. They’ve hired former Orlando City assistant Tim Mulqueen as head coach and former Detroit City head coach Ben Pirmann as assistant, both making their respective debuts at those positions in the professional game. They’ve also announced a delightful neon-inspired logo and an area-code inspired name, mixing the American and European naming styles in a very fun way.

Onto the roster, where they’ve already made a lot of noteworthy signings. Up top, the most recognizable name is Heviel Cordoves, a former Cuban international who defected and joined the Charleston Battery in 2013. He’s a fairly proven USL scorer who knows this league, and seven goals from 16 starts with Richmond last year shows he’s still got it.

In midfield, they’ve added more USL veterans in Raul Gonzalez and Dan Metzger, along with Jamaican international Ewan Grandison. In his home country playing for Portmore United he was one of the top young midfielders in the league, and he’s a talented player just reaching his prime. Adam Najem joins from Philadelphia via Bethlehem and he’s another strong, USL-experienced midfielder who even has a bit of MLS experience. He’s only 24, too, so there’s time for him yet.

Defender Marc Burch joins Memphis following several strong seasons in MLS, having most recently played 21 games for Minnesota United. He’s the sort of veteran player I expect to see wearing the armband once Memphis takes the field, and he’s definitely a proven leader on the field. He’ll have Josh Morton from Tulsa, Wesley Charpie from Jacksonville and Todd Pratzner from Pittsburgh joining him in the back line.

One particularly interesting note: Tim Howard’s team includes two of the starters from the Trinidad and Tobago side that beat the USA 2-1. Defender Triston Hodge and midfielder Leston Paul both started for Trinidad the night the Americans were eliminated from World Cup qualification, with a third Memphis signing, Duane Muckette, on the bench. I wonder how he feels about that.

Prognosis: It’s a decent team, but I’m not expecting much from them, honestly. But who knows?

Nashville SC

It’s now confirmed that Nashville SC is moving to MLS for 2020 and taking their name with them. Unfortunately, that doesn’t include the crest, and the new one is not nearly as good — or really any good, rant coming in the future.

Anyway. All of my speculation last year that they were building up for MLS proved correct, and it’s been announced that Gary Smith will be their coach for their MLS debut next year. For the players, a strong season in 2019 might get them into the big league as the team makes the jump, so expect a lot of competition on the roster.

Nashville’s USL debut was undeniably solid. They lost just three of their first 16 games, ranked as high as fourth by PPG at midseason, made the playoffs and made it to the Round of 16 in the Open Cup. They went undefeated from April 24 until June 26, and again for six games to close out the season. Crowds were consistently strong all year and momentum continues to build for their MLS debut.

The majority of their core is returning, with the most notable exception being Brandon Allen. Allen led the team with 10 goals and two assists in 2018, but he’s off to Tampa Bay. Fortunately, they’ve kept Tucker Hume, Lebo Moloto, Ropapa Mensah and Michael Reed. They’ve replaced Allen with Kharlton Belmar from Sporting KC, Daniel Rios from North Carolina and Cameron Lancaster from Louisville. Rios and Lancaster have contracts for MLS already, and it’s fantastic to see two guys who tore up the USL get a proper shot.

Most of their other new signings concern the backline. They’ve signed Ken Tribbett from Penn FC, Malcolm Stewart from the Ocean City Nor’Easters and Darnell King from San Antonio. King proved his value last season, while Tribbett struggled in a disorganized Penn FC system. Stewart is a bit of a dice roll, as it’s a potential low-risk, high-reward signing.

In goal, Matt Pickens is back as the presumed starter, with former Real Monarchs keeper Connor Sparrow as his backup. Pickens was a beast last season, conceding just 29 goals in 32 games and posting 14 clean sheets, good for second place in the league. If he doesn’t end up retiring, he’ll probably make the move up to MLS.

Prognosis: I don’t think they’ll leave the USL with a mic-drop championship, but with what they’re building, it’s possible.

New York Red Bulls II

The Baby Bulls have been a lean, mean, prospect-developing machine the past several seasons, with kids going through the academy ranks off to bright futures in MLS and in Europe. Expect that to continue as the organization continues to focus on player development and its academy teams. Just in the past few years, we’ve seen Tyler Adams waltz from the academy, through the USL, into MLS, and now he’s starting for RB Leipzig. This is the model everyone should be following.

And now onto the players who have caught my attention, for some reason or another.

Ben Mines won promotion to the senior team, per contract, but he’ll still be spending most of his time in the USL. The 18-year-old midfielder played 799 minutes in the USL last season across 14 games, earning nine starts. He’s adjusting well to life in attacking midfield against professional defenses and his passing metrics continue to climb. He scored one goal from five shots on target, assisted on another and looks like he’s maybe a year away from cracking MLS. One thing though, he did get sent off in his limited minutes due to some clumsy footwork. He’ll need to work on that.

Allen Yanes, a 21-year-old defender and already senior international with Guatemala, signed in July and quickly got to work showing his value at left back. He’s an accurate passer, quick on his feet and was a strong disruptive presence for the Baby Bulls. I see him much more as MLS-level than a player to be sold to Europe, but that’s just fine, and he looks like he’ll be there by the end of this season.

Omir Fernandez just signed his Homegrown contract with the senior team from the U-23 PDL side. An attacking midfielder who just turned 20 in February, Fernandez spent two seasons at Wake Forest, scoring 18 goals, and looks very, very promising. He hasn’t played in the USL yet, but he’ll probably spend some time with the II team this season. That said, he did start in the MLS season opener, played the full 90 and looked pretty comfortable up top. Maybe he’s readier than I think.

And now, a rant. This team has been consistently one of the most exciting teams to watch in the USL for like five years now. Why the hell can’t they get people into their stadium? Is it the II team branding? The location? Whatever it is, figure it out. This is too good to ignore.

Prognosis: Maybe bring back the MetroStars brand?

North Carolina FC

Gather round, friends, and listen to my little story.

Last summer, as you may have known, I went to the MLS All-Star Game in Atlanta with my Front Porch Discourse co-host Ian Foster. As is tradition during All-Star Week, there’s always a big fancy party that MLS runs for all of the various VIPs and whomevers (like me). We went to the party the night before the game and saw loads of famous faces. Diego Valeri, David Villa, Alexi Lalas, Matt Doyle, Bobby Warshaw and even Anthony Precourt, who I drunkenly staggered into. At one point, we saw a familiar-looking, short, middle-aged man surrounded by people in nicer suits than ours. We couldn’t place him, even though we both recognized him from somewhere. He was a coach, we knew that, but a coach of what? And what was his name?

Both of us were far too awkward and inebriated to actually introduce ourselves and find out, and it wasn’t until I returned home that Ian realized exactly whom we were staring at: Dave Sarachan.

The moral of this story: don’t get too trashed in Atlanta.

I bring this up because the Colin Clarke era in North Carolina soccer is over, and Dave Sarachan has been hired as his replacement. He may have received a fair bit of Twitter rage during his interim stint coaching the USMNT, but the man can coach. And with NCFC having made the playoffs just once in the past seven seasons, it was more than time for a change.

Last season was honestly a bit of a disappointment for North Carolina. After making it into the Soccer Bowl playoffs in the 2017 NASL, they found the USL a rather difficult adjustment. They opened the season with three consecutive losses, dropped another five games during the summer and didn’t manage to crack the top 10 again until Week 20. North Carolina was still firmly in the playoff race until October, when losses to the Baby Bulls and Louisville sealed their fate.

Sarachan begins his tenure with a slightly depleted roster. Alex Rios, who bagged 20 goals last season, and Kyle Bekker, who scored seven and led the team with 13 assists, are both out. Rios has joined Nashville on an MLS contract, while Bekker has gone home to join Forge FC in the Canadian Premier League. To replace the duo, they’ve brought in Robert Kristo from VfL Osnabrück and a pair of loanees from MFK Vyškov. It’s a stretch to think any of them will fill in for Daniel Rios, but they might just be fine.

In midfield, Austin Da Luz and Marios Lomis are both back, joined by Tommy McCabe who was drafted by FC Cincinnati earlier this year. It’s not a bad setup; young, versatile and quick. Most of the rest of their midfielders are returning as well, with only Blanco, Shipalane and Steele leaving. But midfield was honestly not where they struggled; it’s still not where the biggest questions lie.

That would be their defense. North Carolina allowed 50 goals in 2018, and if that seems high, that’s because it is. Only two playoff teams, Red Bulls II and Swope Park Rangers, allowed more. As a result, they’ve thoroughly reworked their back line. Sam Brotherton joins from Sunderland, although he never actually played there, while Manny Perez comes in on loan from Celtic. They’re both young but somewhat proven, and should find the USL a nice change of scenery.

Prognosis: It’s gonna be tough to make the playoffs, but if they can get at least 50 goals and concede 40 or fewer, it’s possible.

Ottawa Fury FC

Ottawa didn’t end up joining the Canadian Premier League after all, although it looks like this might be their last season if Concacaf has anything to say about it. But that’s a topic for another day.

Ottawa had a terrible start in 2018, losing their first three and only winning their first game on May 7. A solid May saw the Fury sitting as high as 10th going into the summer when inconsistencies started to shove them back down the table. Ottawa never really managed a strong run for more than a few weeks at a time and ended up out of the playoffs after losing 2-0 to Charleston at home.

For 2019, they’ve lost their offensive core. Steevan Dos Santos, Tony Taylor, and Adonijah Reid are all gone. It’s not too much of a problem for Ottawa as the three combined for just 14 goals and seven assists, but it’ll hurt. They’ve brought back Carl Haworth and Kevin Oliveira, and signed Shaan Hundal from Toronto FC. If those three can figure it out, and if Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé can start regularly, they’re probably fine.

In midfield, the additions of Luca Ricci, Charlie Ward, and Christiano Francois should help things, and at least on paper, they’re a stronger midfield than 2018. There aren’t any major holding midfielders on this roster, though, and that’s something they desperately needed last season. It’s one reason I’m not high on their playoff chances.

The major components of the back line are returning, and they’ve been reinforced with some loans from Toronto and Montreal as well as new signings. Ottawa only conceded 43 goals last season, and that’s honestly not terrible, so this back line should be good for at least 5 or 6 fewer, minimum.

They did lose Maxime Crépeau in goal, who’s returning to Montreal for MLS play, and that’s going to be tough to replace. Crépeau was fantastic, allowing just one goal per game, and saving 82 of 113 shots faced. His 15 clean sheets were best of the league last season, and he was named Goalkeeper of the Year. He kept Ottawa in some games that they had no business leading, and his replacements don’t inspire the same level of confidence. Monsalve was alright, and he’ll have young Jordan Tisseur as his backup, but they’re just not as good.

Prognosis: They need to find a lot of goals from players not known yet for scoring. Tall order, that. Also, maybe CPL for 2020?

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

Pittsburgh rebranded ahead of the 2018 season, expanded their stadium, hired a new coach and went on to have their best season in years. After storming through preseason, they went on a dominant run to start the regular season and didn’t lose their first game until the end of May. They lost just five times during the season — all by a single goal — and posted 17 clean sheets across their three keepers, conceding an absurd, league-leading 26 goals. They only lost their playoff game on penalties and gave FC Cincinnati a run for their money in the Open Cup. Fantastic all around.

Team leader in goals and assists, Neco Brett, is back for 2019 following a very nice 15-goal, eight-assist campaign. Unfortunately, he’ll be without his partner in crime, Christiano François, who’s off to Ottawa. In what ended up as almost a direct swap, they signed Steevan Dos Santos from the Fury as his replacement, along with Christian Volesky from OKC and Anthony Verlarde out of Fresno Pacific University. All in all, it’s an improvement, and considering they only needed a few more goals to move into that top echelon, things are looking good.

Their midfield core is mostly unchanged with Forbes, Mouhamed Dabo, Kevin Kerr and Noah Franke all coming back, and they’ve added Ethan Kutler from the Baby Bulls. And then, with their defense already being as dominant as it was, they’ve reinforced with Ryan James from Nashville, Uchenna Uzo, and both Dani Rovira and Caleb Smith right out of college. It’s not a stretch to say this roster might concede even fewer goals in 2019, which is absurd, and that’s the sort of back line that wins championships.

Sadly, though, they’re going through some fluctuations with ‘keepers. Daniel Lynd and Michael Kirk are both gone, as is Nathan Ingham who didn’t feature last season. They’ve kept Kyle Morton around who managed to keep clean sheets in all three starts, and signed Ben Lundgaard on loan from Columbus, but those two have their work cut out for them.

Regardless, though, this is another team that’s hungry for a championship and it’s shocking that a team as old as the Riverhounds has never won a cup. Things went from mediocre to dominant last year and they don’t have much further to go.

That said, I do feel obligated to whinge about their attendance and hop back on my soap box. PEOPLE OF PITTSBURGH! GO WATCH THIS TEAM! THEY’RE EXCELLENT, THEIR LOGO IS COOL, THEIR JERSEYS ARE SICK AND THEY MIGHT BE THE CLOSEST THING TO A NON-HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP YOUR CITY WILL SEE THIS YEAR.

Prognosis: Cup or bust.

Saint Louis FC

• Founded: 2014
• First USL season: 2015
• Conference changes: five (record)
• Home stadium: Toyota Stadium (5,500)
• Head coach: Anthony Pulis (second season)
• 2018 record: 14-11-9, +6 GD, 53 points, eighth in West, lost first round
• 2018 attendance: 4,271, 16th, -6.6 percent from 2017

Saint Louis brought in Anthony Pulis as head coach, replacing a frankly underwhelming stint from Preki, and saw immediate improvements. The team looked strong early, powered through a slump in May and charged through the latter half of the season, breaking team records for total wins and total points, and finally made the playoffs. Kyle Greig had his best season in years with 13 goals, Lewis Hilton had his best season in the USL yet with 3 goals and 6 assists, and the goalkeeping tandem of Tomas Gomez and Jake Fenlason was stellar. Unfortunately, they had to face Orange County in the first round and they got stomped 4-0.

Still, though, playoffs! And wins! Things were great.

And it looks like they’ll continue being great this season, too. Greig is back, Hilton is back, Jepson is back, Dacres is back and Dikwa is back. It’s basically the same team as before. They’ve also signed Russell Cicerone from Cincinnati and Caleb Calvert from the Rapids to add even more goals for 2019. Both of those players fit better with Pulis’ system than with their previous teams, and it’s the right sort of environment for them to really improve and show what they’re worth.

Guy Abend joins the midfield from Reno following a solid season as a part-time starter and was incredibly useful for Louisville for three seasons. It’s another solid signing, and he definitely makes sense given where they struggled last season. I also agree with the decisions to bring in Joaquin Rivas and Oscar Umar just to help out with depth and the odd rotation start. Hell, either of them could end up cracking the starting lineup before long.

Saint Louis is another team where I’m not confident about their back line. Ledbetter, Walls and Polak weren’t spectacular, but were solid, minute-eating grinders. Losing Kyle Culbertson actually hurts a lot, though, and bringing in Paris Gee and Bradley Kamdem Fewo is an incomplete patch. They have a back line that’s basically good enough, but with nowhere near the depth of a top team. With the way Pulis plays his defenders, I don’t think it’s enough.

Oh, and Saint Louis has switched conferences once again. In five USL seasons, they’ve never played in the same conference for consecutive seasons. Probably my favorite USL meme.

Prognosis: Imagine if they’re back in the West for 2020. Or even better, a new Central Conference. I need this to continue.

Swope Park Rangers

For the first time in their USL history, the Swope Park Rangers didn’t make the USL Cup final. But honestly, that wasn’t that big of a deal. The roster featured more young academy players than any season prior and they still looked pretty good. Paulo Nagamura has built a firm reputation as a head coach and the work he’s done in collaboration with Peter Vermes is a model much of MLS should look to imitate.

Onto the new prospects, as Swope Park has added four kids from the academy and two right out of college.

Defender Mo Abualnadi joined the academy relatively late, just before the 2017-18 season, but quickly started playing against older opposition. He’s a big, tough presence on the back line and has already earned a call-up to the Jordan U-19 national team. He’s getting lots of attention from the first team and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him make his SKC debut during the Open Cup.

Jake Davis, a 17-year-old midfielder, has been a consistent starter with the U-17 academy team in central midfield and is already turning heads with his set piece abilities. Recall FC Dallas’ Michel, the free kick virtuoso who scored an Olimpico in Seattle, and you’ll know what I mean. He’s also just shy of MLS ready at present, and might see MLS minutes this summer. Watch this kid, he’s going places.

Sean Karani made his USL debut with Swope Park last season out of the academy and now has signed his first professional contract. He’s been incredibly dangerous anywhere vaguely near goal, playing comfortably as a lone forward, second striker or winger, and he’s just so quick. If you give him an inch, he’ll take 10 miles and bury the ball in the back of the net. SKC, this might be your striker for the future.

Goalkeeper Brooks Thompson has signed on with Swope Park at just 16, becoming the youngest signing in SKC/SPR history. He’s been playing regularly with the U-19s since he was still 15, and adjusted quickly. He’s tall, already 6-3, and still growing, and he uses his size well in goal. Solid ‘keeper prospect, especially if he can handle the USL.

Prognosis: But they’re not playing in Swope Park anymore.

Tampa Bay Rowdies

I was long on Tampa Bay last year and it really looked like I would be right about their playoff chances, right up until midseason. A nice start to the season kept them in the top three in the East until May, and as the wins evaporated, so too did their postseason odds. Six games without a win in July and August were the death knell, and their four-game winless streak to close the season sealed their fate. Bummer.

Neill Collins had a bit of a rough start in his coaching debut, inheriting a team built around someone else mere days after his final game as a player, but he showed some promising moments and won the confidence of the powers that hire. No reason why he shouldn’t keep his job for 2019.

This team is radically different, with Hristov, Bonomo, Flemmings and Mizell all out. Oddly, most of those “core” players didn’t reach 30 games played, with Bonomo playing just 20, so they already had stretches without them. But that’s still a deep gash.

Thus, they’ve signed basically everyone possible. The new offense features Brandon Allen and Antoine Hoppentot to pair with Sebastian Guenzatti, and already that’s a monumental upgrade. Both of those dudes drop into Tampa’s system and have the exact sort of skills the Rowdies desperately needed, even before all the departures. I also like seeing Jaime Siaj sign from OKC and Leo Fernandes re-signed. That’s a powerful attacking core.

They also have journeyman Zach Steinberger coming in, another move that makes so much sense even if he’s primarily a depth option, and Irish youth international Jordan Doherty in on loan from Sheffield United. Expect many more goals from the Rowdies this season.

In defense, Papé Diakité, Tarek Morad and David Najem return, and that’s it. Everyone else is new back there. They’ve loaned in Caleb Richards from Norwich City, who’s somehow played for six clubs and registered for eight before his 21st birthday, along with former San Antonio defender Ryan Felix and Puerto Rican international Shawn Berry, who never really caught on in Salt Lake City. It’s a young and comparatively under-experienced back line, but they’ve kept just enough from last year to make it maybe hopefully work. If Collins can get these new guys up to speed, they won’t be any worse than before, at least.

Prognosis: Come on, do something already.

This concludes the 2019 mega preview which, as is tradition, finishes far later than expected. Yeah, I know, previewing a season that’s two rounds old is weird, but I wanted this up anyway and the points are still valid. If you’re curious, I was in Ireland for the past week and had a lovely — albeit rather chilly — time.

We’ll be continuing to cover the USL as a whole during the course of the 2019 season, including periodic recaps, quarterly reviews and, of course, loads of playoff analysis and scenarios come fall. Stay tuned to your local Soc Takes for all this good USL magic!

Follow John on Twitter: @JohnMLTX.

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Co-hosts Jason Davis and Nipun Chopra take viewer questions in this grab-bag episode of Lower League America, the series’ 11th installment, titled “The Mailbag.”

You can watch Episodes 1-10 below:

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