In 2022, Central Valley Fuego was in its inaugural season and finished just two points out of the playoff bubble with a goal differential of -3. For an expansion side, it was a fairly successful campaign, lending hope for a serious run at the playoffs in 2023.
The off season ended up a bit chaotic. Leading goal scorer (and Fresno-area native) Christian Chaney was announced as one of Forward Madison’s day-one signings, and Fuego only announced five returning players. By January, the only addition was José Carrera-García, coming off of a career year in midfield for playoff runners up Chattanooga. But by the start of the season, the club re-signed a large portion of the 2022 squad, and brought in several other notable newcomers, including Razak Cromwell, Omar Lemus, and Harold Hanson.
Despite an opening win at Chattanooga, they would go winless in the next six matches, including five losses. Carrera-García missed the first six matches due to visa issues. Cromwell would not see action until match eight.
After match eight, the club sat last in the table at 1-1-5, and had only scored two goals. During this time, the club signed two forwards, Billy Forbes and Othoniel Arce. Neither ended up solving the goal-scoring woes. The club would go on to win the wooden spoon with the worst record, and tied with Knoxville for the fewest goals at 36 on the season. No player would reach double-digits in goals, with Alexis Cerritos topping out at nine.
What Went Right
MVP: Alexis Cerritos
Cerritos started all but a hand full of matches, and had a breakout season. The 22 year old scored a career high nine goals, exceeding expectations among a team of forwards and attacking midfielders who played well below their expectations.
Academy signing: Maximus Ekk made several exciting appearances midseason, scoring two goals in two consecutive matches.
What Went Wrong
Goal scoring: collectively, the club only created 157 chances all season, with most coming from Victor Falck, Omar Lemus and Cerritos. Shots were also at a premium with only 107 on target. The result: 36 goals in 32 matches, only 1.13 goals per match.
Highly touted Mexican national Othoniel Arce never panned out as expected. The 33 year old’s history of scoring dozens of goals across top leagues in Mexico, Guatemala and Peru did not translate over to USL1. He scored two goals (both penalties) in 13 appearances, and has not appeared on the roster since August 13th.
Neither Villyan Bijev nor Billy Forbes could pick up the slack. Bijev has not been able to replicate his 2021 breakout season with Oklahoma City, in which he scored 12 goals. The forward only managed two in 2023, and has been missing from the roster since September 17th. Journeyman Forbes only ended up with one goal and two assists.
Lack of chemistry: after his own breakout season in Chattanooga, Carrera-García was highly touted as the club’s marquee off-season signing. And at the start of the season, we wrote that JCG’s success would be key to the club’s success.
However, he never found the same chemistry in Fresno among this group of players. The midfielder did gain the captaincy on a full-time basis by mid-August, so perhaps an off-season build-around is in the works. We know how potent he can be in contributing to goals when given the proper tools. As he has said several times this season, trust the process.
Coaching: the club went through three head coaches in 2023. Martin Vasquez returned to start the season, before being relieved of his duties in favor of Adam Smith. Then on August 30th, Smith transitioned to sporting director, while assistant Edison Gonzalez took the helm on an interim basis. All of the changes and uncertainty probably contributed to the lack of squad chemistry on the pitch.
Defensive woes: not only did Fuego FC score the fewest goals, they also gave up the second-most goals on the season with 61, also handing the club the worst goal differential at -25.
Goalkeeper injuries: goalkeeping duties largely fell on Mitch North, as Ofek Antman struggled to recover from injuries for most the the season. Antman would make just one apperance in a 1-0 loss to Northern Colorado on June 25th. Matías Fernández filled in the gaps, making three starts and four appearances. Paul Lewis joined the club in September when North became injured, and it became apparent neither he nor Antman would be returning for the season.
Who’s Likely Returning in 2023
Due to the league policy of not sharing contract details, and lack of information in signing announcements, it is unknown at this time who will be returning. We assume all players are on a one-year contract or year-by-year option. Given the performance of the club, it could be speculated that many of the 2023 squad will not be returning, but we just don’t know. Therefore, we’ll speculate more on the depth chart to give us an idea.
* Denotes local/homegrown player
Goal
Mitch North
Ofek Antman
Paul Lewis
Matías Fernández*
Before injuries shut him down in mid-September, North had the bulk of the goalkeeping duties from the start of the season. The 28-year-old was in his third year as a professional, and his second with Fuego. With seemingly little confidence in Fernández, the team brought in Paul Lewis in September, a 24-year-old with experience in USL Championship, NISA, as well as a prior loan stint in USL League One with Tormenta FC. Lewis was in net for the final five matches during which the club went 1-0-5 and conceded 14 goals.
Prediction: all go to free-agency or retirement. The club starts fresh with new signings.
Defenders
RB Omar Lemus
RB Harold Hanson
RB Jesse Williams
LB Razak Cromwell
LB Jesus Partida
CB François Dulysse
CB Jordan Chavez
CB Andrew Forth
A defense that conceded 57 goals will definitely need some retooling in the off season.
24 year old right back Omar Lemus led the club in minutes, starting all but four matches, and provided two official assists while being instrumental in two more goals. He also led the club in interceptions and tackles won, and was second in duels won. With his stock having risen as a fairly solid and dependable two-way fullback, will Fuego make an attempt to use him as the centerpiece of a backline buildout for 2024? Or will he seek other options? Do Harold Hanson and Jesse Williams step up if he does?
Razak Cromwell closes out his comeback year with decidedly mixed reviews. The 29 year old had not played since a playoff loss with Birmingham Legion in October 2020 before signing with Fuego in the 2023 off season. He missed the first five matches, then received a red card just minutes after making his first appearance of the bench. While he won a starting role on the back line by June, his left side was particularly vulnerable to goals. However, Cromwell won the role from second year veteran Jesus Partida, who found his first half of the season starts and appearances diminished by injury by July. Will it be time to seek a left back solution from outside the organization in the off season?
At center back, second year pro Jordan Chavez led the way (and the team captaincy) through May with Mouhamed Dabo or François Dulysse by his side. After not appearing in the first two matches in June, Chavez seemed to have lost his starting role to a tandem of Cromwell and Andrew Forth. Chavez returned to the role on July 9th, but never regained the captaincy, which by this point had gone from Ozzie Ramos to Jose Carrera-García. Chavez again lost the starting role in late September in the midst of a brutal losing streak.
By July, Dulysse was the constant presence at center back, with Cromwell, Forth, Chavez and Williams splitting duties alongside the rest of the season.
Given the defensive struggles and constant changes, it’s hard to tell if anyone in the defensive corps is being eyed for return in 2024.
Prediction: François Dulysse and Jesse Williams re-sign; all others to free agency.
Midfielders
Victor Falck
José Carrera-García
Mouhamed Dabo
Cherif Dieye
Adrian Vera
Ozzie Ramos was the second big name to exit from the midfield corps after Diego Casillas, with a transfer to Forward Madison in early September. The 27 year old was in his second season with Fuego, and had captained the squad in June and part of July, but saw his role diminished by August.
Victor Falck was the most constant presence in the midfield, and created the most scoring chances at 28. The 25 year old fourth year USL1 professional only missed on match all season, and started all but four of his 31 appearances. However, a midfield with Falck and Carrera-García should reasonably be expected to create a whole lot more. We’re waiting to see the decisions to be made here. Is there room for both to return in 2024, or will the club try to build around one and let the other walk?
Predictions: Carrera-García re-signs as the centerpiece of the rebuild. Falck, Dabo, Dieye, Vera to free agency.
Attacking Midfielders/Wingers
Alexis Cerritos
Zahir Vasquez
David Díaz
Diego Casillas started the season in a right wing and right midfield role, but quietly exited the roster in mid-may, before his official release in July.
If there was one bright spot on this team it was Cerritos’ breakout season. The 22 year old scored a team high nine goals and appeared in all 32 matches. Of course, this does raise his stock in the off season. Will Fuego commit to a build-around involving Cerritos and Carrera-García? Or will we see one or both pursue a fresh opportunity?
Vasquez showed potential in his first full season as a professional, scoring three goals in 27 appearances. Two of the goals came at pivotal moments, with one tying a match that the club would go on to win and another a match winning goal. The 23 year old split his seven starts between striker and the right wing.
Predictions: Vasquez and Diaz re-sign; Cerritos to free agency.
Strikers
Qudus Lawal
Villyan Bijev
Billy Forbes
Othoniel Arce
Angel Ruelas*
Strikers need to strike, and this core of this group (Arce, Bijev, Forbes) largely failed to do so in 2023. The addition of Lawal in August provided some hope, when the 28 year old scored in back to back matches, before missing six of the next eight matches with injury. Ruelas, a Fresno local, also contributed a goal off the bench in September, but only got one start in six appearances.
Prediction: Ruelas re-signs; Arce, Bijev, Forbes, Lawal to free-agency or retirement. The club pursues a marquee striker.
Academy
Maximus Ekk*
Summary of Predicted Returns
François Dulysse
Jesse Williams
Jose Carrera-García
Zahir Vasquez
David Díaz
Angel Ruelas
With attendance declining from 2022, and a bottom of the table finish, some major changes will be needed to compete in a league seeing increasing investment and competition. This could be similar to Madison’s post-2022 rebuild in which only five players returned.
The loyal fans in Fresno deserve it.
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