Happy World Cup Monday! While all eyes are on Qatar for the next few weeks, here’s a roundup of what happened in the first few weeks of the USL League One off season.
Nacho Novo named Lexington SC assistant coach
Lexington SC announced Rangers FC legend Nacho Novo as their assistant coach heading into the expansion club’s inaugural season and USL League One debut. The Spaniard joins head coach and former Carolina Railhawks teammate Sam Stockley. Novo’s peak playing career was with Scottish side Rangers FC from 2004 to 2010, where he scored 47 goals in 179 appearances. He later signed with then USL Pro side Carolina Railhawks in 2014 before retiring with Glentoran of the Northern Ireland Football League in 2017. This will be Novo’s coaching debut.
Triumph SC’s Paul Christensen announces retirement
Greenville Triumph goalkeeper Paul Christensen announced his sudden retirement from professional soccer at the age of 26. After leading USL League One in clean sheets in 2022, along with a nomination for keeper of the year, Christensen decided to pursue a career as a Christian minister.
Christensen was a product of the Seattle Sounders U-23 PDL squad, and the 70th overall pick by Atlanta United in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. He spent most of his time with Atlanta United 2 and appeared once for the MLS side in 2018. Christensen signed with USL League One side Greenville Triumph in 2020 and became the primary goalkeeper midway through the 2021 season. In addition to his league leading clean sheets, Christensen played every minute during the 2022 season and playoffs for Triumph SC.
MVP and Golden Boot winner Emiliano Terzaghi signs multi-year deal with Richmond Kickers
After three straight dominant seasons in USL League One with Richmond Kickers, reigning three-time MVP and Golden Boot winner Emiliano Terzaghi signed a long term extension with the club. The 29 year old striker and native of Argentina led the league with 17 goals in 2022. Exact contract details were not made available.
USL League One announces 2023 season format with two additional matches
USL League One announced the 2023 regular season format in which they added two matches, bringing the total number to 32. The changes came about with the loss of FC Tucson to USL League Two and the addition of USL League Two side One Knoxville and expansion club Lexington SC. The format will see each club meeting ten clubs three times and the remaining club twice. Playoffs remain unchanged, with the top six clubs qualifying and top two receiving a first round bye.
Some clubs had already announced 2023 season ticket prices prior to the announcement. Fuego FC, Forward Madison and Union Omaha left their prices unchanged as of this writing. Richmond Kickers added the season ticket equivalent of one match price to their plans, while defending champions Tormenta FC offered the additional match as a bonus if packages purchased before January 1st.
North Carolina FC announced their prices soon after the announcement, while Charlotte Independence, Red Wolves SC, Greenville Triumph, Lexington SC, Hailstorm FC and One Knoxville SC have yet to release season ticket plans for 2023. Keep an eye on our 2023 USL League One season ticket price tracker for announcements and updates.
News We’re Waiting On
- Roster announcements
- Season ticket pricing for aforementioned clubs
- Stadium update for Hailstorm FC
- 2023 schedule release