Part 8 in our team-by-team preview where we try to answer these questions: how could they succeed, and how could they stumble?
North Carolina FC
There is no need to go into too many details on how NCFC has fared in USL League One. Two years in a row at the bottom of the table. Only 35 goals scored, most goals allowed, worst goal differential. That’s all we’ll say.
In the off-season, management decided to do something. At first, they announced 15 members of their 2022 core as returning, a surprising move for a club at the bottom of the table. For comparison, 9th place Forward Madison only returned four. Then over the next month, they made additions to the roster that seemed surgically target everything they lacked in their last two seasons.
More goals? Welcome Rafa Mentzingen and Louis Perez. Better defense? Hello DJ Benton, Daniel Navarro, and Mikey Maldonado.
How North Carolina FC could succeed in 2023
The newcomers help flip that goal differential
Let’s face it: with this squad, Coach John Bradford has a ridiculous number of options, a crazy amount of flexibility, and a really deep bench.
In the 4-2-3-1 formation he utilized in the later part of 2022, he could have in the back: Nelson Blanco at left-back, Luke Croll and Daniel Navarro at center-back, and DJ Benton at right-back. Of course, Mikey Maldonado and DJ Benton can swap out at right-back and defensive midfield. On the bench waiting, we have club veterans Max Flick, Gustavo Fernandes, and Christian Lue Young, all of whom can sub in or start at nearly any defensive position.
In the defensive midfield, options include Pecka, Maldonado/Benton, Raheem Somsersall, Gustavo Fernandes, and Luke Croll. Like we said, flexibility.
And what about that 3-1 front? Rafa Mentzingen on the left, Oalex Anderson in attack, Louis Perez on the right, and Garrett McLaughlin as striker. With Shak Adams ready to step in on the left or the right when someone needs rest, and Mentzingen and Perez flexible enough to shift anywhere.
Tor Saunders and Nick Holiday share goalkeeping duties to backstop all of it.
This is a squad that is more than capable of flipping the dismal goal differential from 2022 and cruising into the playoffs. Pass that wooden spoon or whatever we have in USL1 off to someone else.
How North Carolina FC could stumble in 2023
The hype fizzles out once again
It’s really not likely given the level of talent signed this year. Making the playoffs is the absolute minimum expected from a squad this talented. But any time there is this much hype, there is a risk that it doesn’t pan out.
We listed Rafa Mentzingen as the club’s wild card, but even if he has a down year, it would require down years from the likes of McLaughlin, Anderson, and Perez all at the same time for this experiment to fail. And at that point, you can’t imagine Bradford would remain manager, and the fans would be in revolt.
But then again, USL League One is chaos.
The league-wide fan consensus seems to favor NCFC winning it all. Most of the blogs and pods have them at minimum making the playoffs. It’s now up to this much-hyped crew to do the rest in the chaos that is USL League One.