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TRANSACTIONS: Midfielder Reed Rockets to Memphis

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 01/16/20, 4:43PM EST

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New Mexico signs Xavier standout, German goalkeeper; Brazilian defender joins Tulsa


New Memphis 901 FC midfielder Michael Reed has made 92 regular season appearances in the USL Championship over the past four seasons. | Photo courtesy John Wilkinson III / Nashville SC

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis 901 FC announced on Thursday the arrival of midfielder Michael Reed to the club, with the former Nashville SC player being joined by 2019 USL League One All-League selection Rafael Mentzingen in the club’s squad for the 2020 USL Championship season.

Reed brings four seasons of USL Championship experience to the club, and eight seasons of professional experience overall.

“Michael will bring incredible professionalism, leadership and a plethora of experience to go along with his winning mentality,” said 901 FC Head Coach Tim Mulqueen. “[He’s] a box-to-box midfielder with incredible fitness and work rate. His ability to cover ground allows him to connect the lines in possession from all over the field.”

Over the past two seasons Reed held the position of captain for Nashville SC, where he helped the club reach the USL Championship Playoffs in both 2018 and 2019. Prior to a season-ending ankle injury in August, Reed led Nashville to a 12-5-5 record while cementing his status as a favorite with the club’s supporters.

Mentzingen arrives in Memphis, meanwhile, after a standout first professional season with Lansing Ignite FC. The Brazilian – who previously competed for 901 FC assistant coach Ben Pirmann at Detroit City FC – finished tied for second in the league with seven assists and also notched six goals to earn All-League Second Team honors.

“Rafa is a tremendous winger that has a great ability to drive past opponents and finish off plays,” said Mulqueen.

NEW MEXICO MAKES TWO ADDITIONS: New Mexico United announced on Thursday the signing of goalkeeper Philipp Beigl and forward Samson “Sammy” Sergi for the 2020 USL Championship season.

Sergi joins New Mexico United after a stellar collegiate career with Xavier University. Named a captain in 2018, he recorded 67 appearances, 29 goals, and five assists for the Muskateers during his collegiate career, placing him tied for fourth-leading goalscorer in Xavier program history.

“Thank you to Mr. Trevisani, Coach Lesesne, and the staff for believing in me and for giving me an opportunity to pursue my dream at the next level,” said Sergi. “I'm excited to play in front of the best fans in the country in pursuit of bringing a championship back to New Mexico.”

This past fall, Sergi led the Big East with 10 goals, was unanimously selected to All-Big East First Team, and was selected for the CoSIDA Academic-All American Second Team. Off the pitch, Sergi joined the Athletes in Action Leadership Team on a service trip to Puerto Rico in 2016. 

“Sammy is an exciting young player that has a real instinct for scoring goals and creating opportunities for his teammates. His movement in the final third is very intelligent and he helps make the game more predictable for his teammates by being decisive with his runs,” said New Mexico Head Coach Troy Lesesne. “From a mentality standpoint, Sammy is a fantastic fit with our culture and I'm looking forward to seeing him develop in his rookie season.”

Beigl appeared on the FC Memmingen Youth U15-19 roster from 2006-2010 before making 87 appearances for FC Memmingen from 2010-2016. FC Memmingen is a part of the Regionalliga Bayern league, which is the highest association football league in the Bavarian league system. From 2016-2018, Beigl made 57 appearances with TSV Landsberg of Bayernliga.

“We first evaluated Philipp at one of our trials in 2018 and he immediately stood out with his overall presence in goal,” said Lesesne. “He communicates well to his backline, has great shot-stopping ability, and is very confident playing with his feet out of the back. I'm happy to have Philipp joining our club and excited to see him push our goalkeeping core for 2020.”

BERNER RETURNS HOME, JOINS STLFC: Saint Louis FC announced on Thursday the signing of goalkeeper and St. Louis native John Berner for the upcoming 2020 USL Championship season, pending league and federation approval.

“It is always good to be able to sign local players and also one that went to SIUE,” said STLFC Head Coach Steve Trittschuh. “John is a player I have been familiar with these last years, from him playing with the Colorado Rapids to his time in the USL Championship. He is a big presence behind the defense and his ability to command his area will be a huge advantage for us.”

A former standout at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where he earned Missouri Valley Conference Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2012 and 2013, Berner was drafted as the 35th pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft by Colorado Rapids. Berner made five appearances for the MLS side in 2014 before joining the USL Championship’s Charlotte Independence on loan. He made 38 appearances for the Independence and kept 12 clean sheets over the 2015-2016 seasons before joining Phoenix Rising FC at the start of the 2017 season.

Berner then spent time with Phoenix Rising FC and OKC Energy FC before sitting out the 2019 season to rehabilitate an injury. 

“It has been a tough couple of years personally, but I couldn’t think of a better landing spot than here in my hometown of St. Louis,” said Berner. “It’s an exciting time to be part of soccer here and I can’t wait to get the season started.”

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