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USL launches Hisense Playoff Sweepstakes for 2022 Playoffs presented by Hisense

October 18, 2022 by mcadwell

Would you like to win the ultimate World Cup viewing experience?

Thanks to Hisense, the presenting partner of the 2022 USL Championship and League One Playoffs, you could be the winner of a 120-inch Laser TV and $500 gift card in the Hisense Playoff Sweepstakes.

During the 2022 USL Championship Playoffs and 2022 USL League One Playoffs fans can enter using a QR code that will appear on-screen during every game of the postseason.

Fans can also enter the sweepstakes online at the USL website between now and midnight after the 2022 USL Championship Final on Sunday, November 13, which will air live on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and SiriusXM FC.

On the spot, Republic FC’s Rodrigo Lopez left no doubt

September 20, 2022 by mcadwell

It’s the stuff of endless barroom debate.

One shot from the penalty spot to win it all, who’s your player?

Even before Wednesday night, for Sacramento Republic FC fans there was likely only one answer.

RoRo.

“You’re writing the penalties down. RoRo was always going to be number five,” said Republic FC Head Coach Mark Briggs. “We knew if we got the opportunity, RoRo would step up.”

The first signing in Republic FC’s history before its inaugural USL Championship season in 2014, Rodrigo Lopez has long been the man Sacramento could count on when it mattered most.

From the Miracle at Bonney in the Semifinals of the 2014 USL Championship Playoffs, when his second-half hat trick capped by a perfectly delivered free kick in stoppage time produced an improbable 3-2 comeback victory against the LA Galaxy II, to moments big and small – on and off the field – no other player has woven himself into the club’s history with more distinction.

Tasked with a potentially decisive penalty kick against Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper John Pulskamp at Heart Health Park, and the chance to make history in the Semifinals of the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Sacramento’s adopted son delivered once again, as everyone on hand or watching their screens knew he would.

“What a night again Sacramento,” said Lopez in a video posted to Republic FC’s Twitter account. “That you for everything, thank you for all your support. We felt all your support tonight through 120 minutes, PKs, we love you.”

Lopez’s path in 17 years of professional soccer has been a winding one. He noted recently on social media that at his first professional club as an 18-year-old – Major League Soccer’s Chivas USA in 2005 – he played with the father of current Republic FC Academy standout Santiago Suarez, a 17-year-old center back who last week earned a call-up to the United States U-19 Men’s National Team.

He even had a stint with Sacramento’s opponent in September 7’s Open Cup Final a decade ago, joining Orlando City SC during the 2012 USL Championship season and recording one goal in eight appearances before the Lions joined Major League Soccer three years later.

While there have been diversions along the way – including competing in Liga MX for historic Mexican club Toluca – Sacramento has become home, with the relationship between the player, club, and fans one that has endured wherever Lopez has been.

“Look at this crowd, this city,” said Lopez on social media after the game. “I love everybody here. This is my home. I have so many emotions going through my head right now, I just want to enjoy it right now.”

For Republic FC fans, in that moment, who else could you have possibly wanted on the spot?

“RoRo did what RoRo does,” said Briggs. “Wrote himself into Sacramento history again. Fantastic for him. Fantastic for the club. Just unbelievable.”

Playing for Pride – Meet the players and supporters groups you can support

June 1, 2022 by mcadwell

Launched five years ago by former North Carolina FC standout Austin da Luz, the Playing for Pride initiative will again feature numerous players across the country this month, including those currently featuring in the USL Championship and League One.

The campaign in association with Athlete Ally – which sees players make donations to LGBTQ+ initiatives nationally and in their local communities, and asks fans to match them based on their performances in games during June – was officially launched on Wednesday afternoon by Birmingham Legion FC player and current U.S. Soccer Players’ Council member Mikey Lopez.

Lopez is one of 12 currently active players and coaches in the USL Championship, League One and League Two taking part in this year’s initiative, and you can donate directly to the United Soccer League’s page throughout the month.

Joining them are numerous supporters’ groups across the country, including OKC Energy FC group Main Street Greens, which in 2018 became the USL Championship’s first LGBTQ+ oriented supporters’ group.

Players and Coaches

Kyle Adams, San Diego Loyal FC

Matt Bahner, El Paso Locomotive FC

Jamie Dell, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC

Sam Gleadle, Monterey Bay F.C.

Miguel Ibarra, Charlotte Independence

Dekel Keinan, Las Vegas Lights FC

Mikey Lopez, Birmingham Legion FC

Collin Martin, San Diego Loyal SC

Brent Richards, Orange County SC

Jalen Robinson, Loudoun United FC

Ben Willis, Coach, Ballard FC

Zach Zandi, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

Supporters’ Groups

AFC Ann Arbor – Main Street Hooligans – Ozone House

Ashville City FC – South Slope Blues – Campaign for Southern Equality

Birmingham Legion FC – Magic City Brigade – Magic City Acceptance Center

Charleston Battery – The Regiment – We Are Family

Des Moines Menace – The Society DSM – Iowa Safe Schools

Detroit City FC – Northern Guard Supporters – Ruth Ellis Center

Fort Wayne FC – Three Rivers Regiment – Indiana Youth Group

Forward Madison FC – The Flock – GSAFE

Hartford Athletic – The Bonanza – Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective

Greenville Triumph SC – Reedy River Riot – Upstate Pride SC

Indy Eleven – Brickyard Battalion – Indiana Youth Group

Little Rock Rangers – The Red Watch – Lucie’s Place

Louisville City FC – LouCity Ladies & Los Morados – Louisville Pride Foundation

Memphis 901 FC – Bluff City Mafia – OUTMemphis

Minneapolis City SC – Model Citizens – RECLAIM!

New Mexico United – The Curse – Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico

OKC Energy FC – Main Street Greens – Freedom Oklahoma

PDX FC – Black Hearts Union – Portland Community Football Club

Phoenix Rising FC – Union 602 & Los Bandidos – one•n•ten

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC – Steel Army – Persad Center

Sacramento Republic FC – Tower Bridge Battalion – Lavender Library

San Diego Loyal SC – The Locals / Rainbow Locals & Chavos de Loyal – TransFamily Support Services

Tampa Bay Rowdies – Ralph’s Mob – Metro Inclusive Health

Toledo Villa FC – Black Swamp Brigade – Equality Toledo

FC Tulsa – 83 United – Dennis R. Neill Equality Center

Union Omaha – Omaha Parliament – PFLAG Omaha

Creating a Culture of LGBTQ+ Inclusivity

June 1, 2022 by mcadwell

This past month, the United Soccer League convened online for the latest seminar in the USL Impact Series, featuring a discussion centered on the importance of inclusion at clubs across the USL ecosystem leading up to LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June.

The esteemed panel led by Moderator Josie Nixon, Account Manager at the You Can Play Project and guests Billy Bean, the Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Special Assistant to the Commissioner at Major League Baseball, and Lindsay Barenz, President of USL Championship club Oakland Roots SC, discussed the importance of fostering LGBTQ+ inclusivity at all levels of organizations, creating steps clubs can take to make people feel more included, identifying benchmarks to monitor progress, and implementing initiatives to be an ally within the community.

The USL Impact Series is a content series designed to drive conversation around impactful community engagement initiatives across the USL ecosystem to empower clubs to implement authentic and intentional social impact within their respective communities.

USL Championship, League One, League Two players called up for international duty

May 31, 2022 by mcadwell

TAMPA, Fla. – Forty-one players currently competing in the USL Championship, League One and League Two have been called up for senior international duty in June as the Concacaf Nations League and Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying begins during the upcoming FIFA international window.

Seventeen countries are represented among the selections, with five players apiece from El Salvador and Grenada from the USL Championship set to get the opportunity to square off with the United States Men’s National Team in Group D of Concacaf Nations League A in the coming weeks. Both countries earned promotion from League B in the prior edition of the tournament and will square off twice prior to facing the group favorites to close the international window.

El Salvador includes a pair of players apiece from FC Tulsa – forward Joaquin Rivas and defender Ronald Rodriguez – and Las Vegas Lights FC – goalkeeper Tomas Romero and winger Roberto Molina – as well as El Paso Locomotive FC midfielder Eric Calvillo. La Selecta will play host to the United States on Tuesday, June 14 at 10 p.m. ET at Estadio Cuscatlan to close the round of games.

Grenada, meanwhile, includes a pair of players from the Charleston Battery in defenders AJ Paterson and Benjamin Ettienne, while also featuring Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC’s Kharlton Belmar, Indy Eleven’s Alex McQueen and El Paso Locomotive FC’s Shavon John-Brown. The contest between the sides on Friday, June 10 at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas will be the first in official competition since a 4-0 win for the United States in the 2009 Concacaf Gold Cup.

Five players could also see action in the start of Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying with the Hartford Athletic duo of Prince Saydee and Joel Johnson called up by Liberia for a contest against Morocco on June 13. New Mexico United’s Raddy Ovouka (Congo) and the New York Red Bulls II’s Steven Sserwadda (Uganda) were also named in their respective country’s squads, while USL League Two club Ballard FC’s Lesia Thetsane was called up by Lesotho for its games against Comoros on June 3 and Ivory Coast on June 9.

Indy Eleven leads all teams with four players selected by their countries, with McQueen joined by Trindad and Tobago’s Neveal Hackshaw and Noah Powder, and Haiti’s Mechack Jerome in being selected.

The group stage of the Concacaf Nations League is set to open on Thursday, with four scheduled matchdays through June 14 as teams in League A, League B and League C vie for promotion and a chance to qualify for the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup next summer.

Contests outside the United States and Mexico are set to be streamed live in the United States by Paramount Plus.

USL Championship, League One, League Two International Call-Ups – June 2022

Belize (2) – Tony Rocha (Orange County SC), Deshawon Nembhard (South Georgia Tormenta FC)

Chile (1) – Vicente Reyes (Atlanta United 2)

Congo (1) – Raddy Ovouka (New Mexico United)

Cuba (1) – Jorge Corrales (FC Tulsa)

El Salvador (5) – Joaquin Rivas (FC Tulsa), Ronald Rodriguez (FC Tulsa), Roberto Molina (Las Vegas Lights FC), Eric Calvillo (El Paso Locomotive FC), Tomas Romero (Las Vegas Lights FC)

Grenada (5) – Shavon John-Brown (El Paso Locomotive FC), AJ Paterson (Charleston Battery), Benjamin Ettienne (Charleston Battery), Kharlton Belmar (Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC), Alex McQueen (Indy Eleven)

Haiti (5) – Ashkanov Apollon (Hartford Athletic), Mechack Jerome (Indy Eleven), Carl Sainte (New Mexico United), Christiano Francois (El Paso Locomotive FC), Francois Dulysse (Central Valley Fuego FC)

Jamaica (2) – Kevon Lambert (Phoenix Rising FC), Speedy Williams (Miami FC)

Lesotho (1) – Lesia Thetsane

Liberia (2) – Joel Johnson (Hartford Athletic), Prince Saydee (Hartford Athletic)

Puerto Rico (4) – Nicolas Cardona (Chattanooga Red Wolves SC), Christopher Dilan (The Villages SC), Ricardo Rivera (Union Omaha), Jaden Servania (North Carolina FC)

St. Kitts & Nevis (1) – Raheem Somersall (North Carolina FC)

St. Lucia (1) – Peter Pearson (Greenville Triumph SC)

St. Vincent and the Grenadines (1) – Oalex Anderson (North Carolina FC)

Trinidad and Tobago (7) – Leston Paul (Memphis 901 FC), Triston Hodge (Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC), Shannon Gomez (San Antonio FC), Mekeil Williams (Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC), Alvin Jones (Forward Madison FC), Noah Powder (Indy Eleven), Neveal Hackshaw (Indy Eleven)

Turks and Caicos (1) – Billy Forbes (Detroit City FC)

Uganda (1) – Steven Sserwadda (New York Red Bulls II)

James O’Connor Appointed President of Louisville City FC

April 27, 2022 by mcadwell

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Former Louisville City FC Head Coach James O’Connor was on Wednesday appointed President of Soccer Holdings LLC, owner of both LouCity and the NWSL’s Racing Louisville FC. O’Connor had previously served as interim president following the departure of Brad Estes from the club in January.

O’Connor was the first Head Coach in LouCity’s history, joining the club after his retirement from the playing ranks at Orlando City SC, and led the side to its first USL Championship title in 2017. He will now fully oversee a club that also includes Racing Louisville FC, two youth academies and modern facilities capable of hosting elite soccer and non-soccer events.

“I’m honored to be given such a key role within our organization, and I’d like to thank our chairman, John Neace, who has been a massive help to me while I have been in the interim role as well as the board for placing its trust in me,” said O’Connor. “From the onset, our owners have shown tremendous ambition to bring winning soccer and quality facilities to our city. As we move forward, we are determined to bring more championships to Louisville.

“I understand I have big shoes to fill in replacing Brad, who did a wonderful job for us. However, we also have a very energetic team in our office. Like our teams on the field, we all plan to attack what’s ahead of us.”

O’Connor is one of only a handful of people in the world to hold both U.S. Soccer and UEFA Pro licenses. Off the pitch, he has continued to develop his business acumen since returning to Soccer Holdings as Executive Vice President of Development in early 2020. The native of Ireland who’s now a U.S. citizen is pursuing a master’s in sports directorship through the Global Institute of Sport’s Miami campus.

O’Connor boasts more than 25 years of experience in pro soccer with positions ranging from player to coach and now executive. Under O’Connor’s leadership, LouCity positioned itself on an upward trajectory toward building what is now known as Lynn Family Stadium.

“We’ve seen James steadily climb the ladder at this club, achieving at a trophy-winning level every step along the way,” Neace said. “It’s always our goal to promote from within where possible. This particular move is one that will inspire a championship culture across both our office and locker rooms. We know we have a great person who will run the club in a way that makes our fans proud. James will also reach high, leveraging all that has been built here to put Louisville on the map as an international player in soccer. I can’t wait to see what’s ahead for him in this role.”

O’Connor’s LouCity teams went 71-26-28 in league play, and he set the table for the club’s 2018 title as well after a midseason move to take the Head Coach position at Orlando City SC. Following his MLS stint, O’Connor came back to Louisville on a career path that led to his appointment as club President.

“I’m ecstatic that my friend James has been appointed president of Soccer Holdings,” said Estes. “Since Day 1, he has created the culture of humility and integrity that paved the way for LouCity to develop into multiple pro clubs, a fantastic youth academy and world-class facilities. Simply put, James O’Connor is Soccer Holdings.”

O’Connor’s fingerprints are on LouCity and Racing Louisville’s youth academies that launched in the fall of 2020 and now number more than 1,000 players. He also spearheaded Racing’s National Women’s Soccer League start, making it the first top-tier professional sports franchise in Louisville since the Kentucky Colonels in the 1970s.

Soccer Holdings less than a year ago opened the Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training Center, which O’Connor also played a pivotal role in designing and developing. Located at Champions Park, about two miles from Lynn Family Stadium, the facility houses both pro clubs, academy operations and office staff.

With this appointment, O’Connor will continue what has amounted to more than seven years working for Soccer Holdings across influential positions on and off the pitch.

James O’Connor Appointed President of Soccer Holdings, LLC

April 27, 2022 by mcadwell

With this appointment, O’Connor will continue what has amounted to more than seven years working for Soccer Holdings across influential positions on and off the pitch.

USL Alumni Served as Cornerstone for United States’ World Cup Qualification

March 31, 2022 by mcadwell

In the first game played by the United States Men’s National Team after the failure to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, against Portugal in November 2017, there were two debut starters for the side: midfielders Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie.

A little over four years on, the pair now stand as two of the faces of the team, each playing for top clubs in Europe. They also share a bond, one of many throughout the squad, that has proven vital in the rejuvenation of the program that reached a climactic moment on Wednesday night, securing a berth at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

“Three hours before the game in Mexico I was on FaceTime with Weston and he was wishing me good luck, he wanted us to take care of business,” said Adams prior to Wednesday night’s game in Costa Rica. “The [Panama] game, I wasn’t expecting another call from him, but I got another call from him three hours before the game. We’re very connected. This goes deeper than the football, we’ve created friendships and relationships with guys that translate completely onto the field.”

For Adams, remarkably, that senior national team debut came only 13 months after he was helping claim a USL Championship title. The first signing in New York Red Bulls II history, and still yet to turn 18 years of age as he played his final game for the side, Adams was the youngest starter on the field as New York romped to a 5-1 victory in October 2016. Adams’ path to the USMNT is one many other young players have followed since, competing first in the USL Championship, League One or League Two before making the step up to the top level of the international game.

In fact, across the 14 games that made up qualifying since the start of last September, 29 players have made their World Cup Qualifying debuts, 16 of which had previously played in one of the USL’s three senior divisions. Overall, the 20 USL alumni that have seen action in World Cup Qualifying – including the likes of 2012 League Two All-League selection DeAndre Yedlin, who appeared in the prior cycle – have combined for 109 appearances and 6,654 minutes of action, almost half of the minutes played by the squad overall.

For some like Adams and Brenden Aaronson, the path from the Championship to top-flight soccer, and then to the USMNT was a direct one, one the duo has taken to with aplomb. More recently, there has been the rise of Ricardo Pepi, a 2019 USL League One title winner and All-League selection now competing in the Bundesliga for FC Augsburg.

For others, the path was more circuitous. Goalkeeper Matt Turner made more than 50 combined appearances in USL League Two for the Jersey Express and in the Championship for the Richmond Kickers before making his breakthrough. Defender Miles Robinson, who ranked second to Adams in minutes played in qualifying by a USL alumnus this cycle (964) and third overall in the squad, competed for the FC Boston Bolts in League Two and then made 20 appearances in the Championship across two seasons, including on loan with the Charleston Battery.

Then there’s Aaron Long, the 2016 USL Championship Defender of the Year, whose road to this moment might have been the longest of any. A notable player for FC Tucson in USL League Two – where he made his debut a decade ago under current Phoenix Rising FC Head Coach Rick Schantz – Long made 60 appearances in the Championship over three seasons, including loans to Sacramento Republic FC and Orange County SC in 2014 from Seattle Sounders FC, before finding his niche alongside Adams with the Red Bulls II. In the past year, Long’s persistence was again on show as he made his way back from a torn ACL suffered last March to earn his World Cup Qualifying debut against Mexico last Thursday.

USMNT Head Coach Gregg Berhalter now gets the chance to plan his group for November’s World Cup, a squad that could feature many players who can trace their roots to the Championship, League One and League Two. When that opportunity arrives, those USL alumni will be in a place to move soccer in America forward once again.

“As a team, we’ve created bonds and a chemistry that to be honest with you is very different to a lot of teams I’ve played in,” said Adams. “I think that comes down to the fact that we’re young, we’ve played in the youth national teams before, and we’ve really prepared ourselves for this opportunity. Gregg speaks on the fact that coming into World Cup Qualifying, we really want to rewrite how American fans view us, not just through our style of play but our intensity, our commitment, our belief that we want to take U.S. soccer to the next level. I think everyone has bought into that fact.”

League One on Brink of Infrastructure Boom

February 18, 2022 by mcadwell

TAMPA, Fla. – Last month, Lexington Pro Soccer made waves with a proposal to construct a world-class soccer-specific stadium in the heart of downtown Lexington, Ky.

Lexington joins a growing list of clubs in the USL League One landscape now on their way to newly constructed or recently renovated homes. The surge in facility upgrades around League One—providing top-quality venues for players and supporters—has further strengthened the league’s position in the professional soccer landscape in the United States as it continues to add new expansion markets across the country.

Lexington Pro Soccer released renderings of a proposed downtown stadium ahead of its inaugural League One season in 2023. Designed to be the centerpiece of the forthcoming High Street Development Project, the stadium would stand in downtown Lexington directly across from the Central Bank Center and Rupp Arena.

“Lexington is the ideal home for a thriving professional soccer club. We have all of the ingredients needed to make Lexington Pro Soccer one of the best teams in the league–except a professional-quality stadium,” said Bill Shively, Founder of Tower Hill Sports and Majority Owner of Lexington Pro Soccer. “We’re firmly committed to building a state-of-the-art stadium for Lexington’s soccer club, and we hope to do that right in the heart of downtown Lexington.”

The 6,000-plus-seat stadium would feature 45,000 square feet of entertainment-focused retail with patio views overlooking both the stadium and Rupp Arena. The surrounding development project would include a 160-room hotel, a 250-unit resort-style residential development and would create a broader entertainment area in downtown Lexington.

In January, an initial proposal was introduced to local leaders by the City of Mauldin and Greenville County to be the new home of Greenville Triumph SC. The proposal would provide the 2020 League One champion with a new $38.6 million, 8,100-seat venue.

Located in the heart of Triumph SC-supporter territory, the initial proposal would see the stadium anchor the upcoming Bridgeway Station, a $150 million, 38-acre mixed-use retail, office, residential and entertainment complex. The new venue would be owned by Greenville County and operated by Greenville Triumph SC, serving as the club’s new headquarters.

The recent proposals add to a trio of stadium projects currently on the horizon that will host current and future League One sides. The City of Spokane has broken ground on a $31 million downtown stadium project that will host a League One expansion that plans to join the league in 2024 upon the venue’s completion. Located on the banks of the Spokane River, the 5,000-seat stadium will also be home to a USL W League club, all five local high schools and will have an estimated annual economic impact of $11.4 million.

“It’s a special day for the city of Spokane,” said United Soccer League COO and Chief Real Estate Officer, Justin Papadakis in May 2021. “Today’s approval is the culmination of a lot of hard work and energy, and we’re especially thankful to the Downtown Spokane Partnership, led by Mark Richard, the Public Facilities District, led by Stephanie Curran, as well as the Spokane Public School Board. We look forward to Spokane having a professional soccer club that the community can call its own and believe it has all the ingredients to be something truly special.”

For two additional League One clubs in South Georgia Tormenta FC and Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, a pair of impressive stadium projects are nearing completion. The 5,300-seat Optim Health System Field at Tormenta Stadium in Statesboro, Ga. will become the largest purpose-built soccer stadium in the state when it’s completed in the coming months. Tormenta FC’s new home will feature luxury suites, a multi-functional gym for players and host the organization’s League One, League Two, W League and academy clubs.

Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC will call Future Legends Sports Complex home following its completion in the coming months. An hour north of Denver, the 118-acre sports complex in Windsor, Colo. will feature a professional stadium, an indoor multi-purpose dome, 10 multipurpose turf fields, lodging, retail and more. Surrounding the stadium will be a larger development area that will feature a Publix, movie theater, hotel and commercial and residential spaces.

In addition, Knoxville, Tenn.’s new multi-use stadium has been given the green light and is slated to begin construction in Spring 2022. With a scheduled completion planned for 2024, the multi-use venue will serve as the future home of One Knoxville SC, a new club in USL League Two beginning this season, with ambitions to eventually jump to the professional ranks.

The 7,000-plus-seat stadium will be the centerpiece of a $142 million development in Knoxville’s Old City area that will bring validity to the city and club’s professional soccer aspirations.

In three potential expansion markets around the country, stadium proposals have also been introduced to earn a bid for a League One club. In Fort Wayne, Ind., city leaders in February 2021 introduced a proposal for a $150 million downtown development that would feature a stadium, fieldhouse, event center and hotel and serve as the new home of USL League Two’s and future League One hopeful Fort Wayne FC.

“We all know that a vibrant downtown drives the overall health of a vibrant community. But we’re just getting started,” said Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry. “Let me be the first to tell you a memorandum of understanding is now in place for a major development on the North River site. It’s a proposed project exceeding $150 million.”

In July 2021, leaders of USL to Portland presented a pair of stadium proposals to local leaders in hopes of bringing Maine its first professional soccer club. The project in Maine’s largest city would either convert an existing field on Preble Street to professional quality or redevelop and upgrade downtown Fitzpatrick Stadium.

“The prospect of having a professional team here in Portland could be life-changing for so many Portlanders coming from all corners of the world,” said Julia Trujillo, Director of the City of Portland Office of Economic Opportunity. “It would enhance their sense of belonging and therefore, their retention in the city. Soccer is more than a sport; it is a unique and exciting opportunity to bring our community together.”

On the opposite end of the country, in Modesto, Calif., a new downtown stadium potentially on the horizon team has led local business leaders to ponder the feasibility of professional soccer coming to the area.

The proposed Great Valley Coliseum would cost between $85 and $122 million and could host as many as 5,000 fans and 300 events per year.

Lastly, a pair of League One clubs have already cut the ribbon of their new or renovated stadiums in Chattanooga Red Wolves SC’s new CHI Memorial Stadium and Charlotte Independence’s American Legion Memorial Stadium. Opened on Aug. 1, 2020, the Red Wolves’ new home set a new standard in the League One stadium space, with a 5,500-seat stadium that sits on 100 acres of land that will soon be developed into a $125 million mixed-use area.

For Charlotte, the two-year, $40.5 million renovation project to the 85-year-old American Legion Memorial Stadium has turned the historic Charlotte venue into a world-class soccer facility featuring upgrades to the playing surface, fan concourse, press box and an addition of a 40-foot-by-60-foot video board.

The 2022 USL League One campaign kicks off on April 2 and will feature 165 matches between 11 clubs over the course of seven months. Every League One match can be viewed on ESPN+. The season will conclude with the 2022 USL League One Final which will air on Sunday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.