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Ranking the 9 most interesting USL Championship signings over the past week – Jan. 6-10

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 01/12/25, 9:30AM EST

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High-potential arrivals from Major League Soccer, and the most left-field signing of the offseason so far are in the spotlight


Nick Firmino (Lexington SC), Samuel Careaga (Hartford Athletic) and Johnny Klein (Charleston Battery) were among the notable additions in the USL Championship this week.

The first full week of the new year saw business pick up in the USL Championship as clubs continued to build their squad ahead of the 2025 season, with some notable new arrivals and some familiar faces signing permanent deals at former loan stops among the headliners.

Here are nine transactions that caught our eye from the past week.

1. Lexington SC signs attacking midfielder Nick Firmino

One of the key recruiting areas for USL Championship clubs in the past couple of seasons has been the addition of players who excelled with an MLS club’s reserve team, but couldn’t quite make the breakthrough in the top flight. Nick Firmino fits that profile and could be a fine addition for Lexington SC’s attacking corps as it enters the Championship this season.

A USL League One title-winner with Union Omaha in 2021, Firmino progressed consistently after joining Atlanta United, putting up three goals and one assist in the USL Championship in 2022 before his breakout campaign in MLS NEXT Pro in 2023 with 16 goals and six assists. The Brazilian’s nose for goal was evident with three goals in three games in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup last year while he also notched another three goals and three assists in MLSNP while rotating between the First Team and reserves. The 23-year-old brings energy as well as quality in the attacking third will be aiming to make an impact as he arrives in Kentucky.

2. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC signs Anthony Fontana

It speaks to the integrity the leadership at Colorado Springs Switchbacks possess that a player with the resume of Anthony Fontana would make that his preferred destination as he returns to the United States.

“What [Head Coach] James [Chambers] and [Switchbacks Sporting Director] Stephen [Hogan] have built and accomplished here is amazing. I want to be a part of it and help the project progress even more,” said Fontana in the club’s announcement of his signing, with Chambers having been a teammate of the 25-year-old as he broke through at Bethlehem Steel FC.

This is a reset for Fontana, who recorded eight goals for the Philadelphia Union in the abbreviated 2020 Major League Soccer season before pursuing opportunities in Europe at Ascoli in Italy’s Serie B and PEC Zwolle in the Netherlands’ Eredivisie. There’s a chance Fontana could have been picked up by an MLS club in his return, but going to a club where he feels backed could allow him to make a positive impact for the defending title holders.

3. Charleston Battery sign Johnny Klein

Johnny Klein’s signing with the Charleston Battery fits a similar profile to that of Nick Firmino with Lexington SC with the 5-foot-7 midfielder having become a cult hero over the past two seasons with St. Louis CITY SC while impressing for the club’s reserves.

The 25-year-old bagged one goal and one assist in Major League Soccer across 12 appearances in the past two seasons but excelled for the reserves in MLS NEXT Pro with 19 goals and 11 assists as a right-sided midfielder. His strike rate of a goal every 196 minutes is impressive for a player in that position – illustrating his position as a player caught in the gap of quality between MLS and MLS NEXT Pro – and with the Battery’s success in identifying players in similar situations who can fit their structure, this move has a lot of promise.

4. Sacramento Republic FC signs Ryan Spaulding


New Sacramento Republic FC signing Ryan Spaulding had an impact on short-term loans with the Tampa Bay Rowdies over the past two seasons. | Photo courtesy Matt May / Tampa Bay Rowdies

Officially, Ryan Spaulding has only made 13 appearances in the USL Championship so far in his career, competing on loan with the Tampa Bay Rowdies on loan from former club the New England Revolution. What he’s done in those appearances, though, made him one of the most attractive free agents dropping out of the top flight this offseason and a potential key addition for Sacramento Republic FC as it retools its squad.

The 26-year-old’s first loan stint with the Rowdies in 2023 was electric as he recorded two goals, four assists and 15 chances created in nine appearances before his recall to New England. Spaulding’s speed and quality deliveries from the left flank connected perfectly with helped ignite JJ Williams and the rest of the Rowdies attack, which ended the campaign with a conference-high 60 goals. With Jack Gurr on the opposite flank, Spaulding will look to bring that level of productivity and potentially spur the likes of Trevor Amann to new heights this season.

5. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC signs Bertin Jaquesson

As Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Head Coach Bob Lilley put it in this week’s announcement, getting Bertin Jacquesson in as a new signing after his loan stint with the Hounds last season was a priority for the side. The French forward produced five goals and two assists in eight appearances that proved crucial in extending Pittsburgh’s playoff streak to seven campaigns and with Edward Kizza now at Indy Eleven, the Hounds once again needed a striker with the potential to deliver double-digit goals.

Jacquesson’s production came off elevated underlying metrics – his shooting accuracy rate of 76.9 percent was the highest among players with at least five goals in the regular season, while only penalty wizard Sean Totsch had a higher shot conversion rate (43.8%) than Jacquesson’s 38.5 percent mark. Both of those will likely drop closer to the league average – 53.4 percent for shooting accuracy, 21 percent for shot conversion rate – with more playing time this season, but the 23-year-old should still be in for a productive season at Highmark Stadium.

6. Hartford Athletic acquires Samuel Careaga on loan

While Louisville City FC’s Elijah Wynder claimed the USL Championship’s Young Player of the Year award last November, you could have made a reasonable case for Samuel Careaga to be in the picture for the award after his stellar season at Memphis 901 FC. The Argentine recorded eight goals and two assists in 31 appearances while on loan from Lanus as his stay in the Bluff City extended from the end of the 2023 campaign.

Careaga returns to the Championship on loan from Lanus this season, now with Hartford Athletic, where his ability to create and find the net from midfield could be a very good addition. The 22-year-old has notched 10 goals and three assists in 37 regular season games so far in the league, with three of his goals coming from outside the penalty area. He may not be eligible for Young Player of the Year anymore, but his productivity should be a valuable addition to Head Coach Brendan Burke’s squad.

7. El Paso Locomotive FC acquires Daniel Carter on loan

If I told you El Paso Locomotive had added a 21-year-old forward who in the past season had averaged a goal every 117 minutes in Honduras’ top flight, what would you make of it? Technically, that’s the production Daniel Carter had for Real C.D. España during the Liga Nacional Apertura this past fall. The caveat is it measured up to three goals in 350 minutes of action overall as Carter proved primarily a super-sub for one of the country’s traditional powers as it finished third in the campaign.

However, that resume and potential for productivity is a tease for what Carter might be able to bring to El Paso this season. Locomotive hasn’t had a double-digit goalscorer in the regular season since Luis Solignac (16) and Dylan Mares (10) reached the mark in the 2022 campaign, and at this point in the Championship having that level of productivity from one or more of your front line is almost essential for success. For Carter this is a chance to prove he can deliver game-in and game-out to Real España’s leadership. If he does, it could be a major boost for Locomotive as it tries to return to the postseason.

8. San Antonio FC signs Dmitrii Erofeev

There might not be a more out-of-left field signing than San Antonio FC’s addition of Russian 18-year-old Dmitrii Erofeev, but the resume he brings to his new club also makes it an intriguing move that could pay off for both parties.

Coming through the Academy of Dynamo Moscow – one of the country’s traditional powerhouses – Erofeev has already seen action for the club’s reserve team in the lower divisions. During the 2024 season in 2. Division B, officially part of the regionalized fourth tier in Russia, he recorded three goals and five assists in 16 appearances as Dynamo 2 won its division. How that translates to the USL Championship – say nothing of the new culture Erofeev will be stepping into with new SAFC Head Coach Carlos Llamosa – will be fascinating to see play out.

9. Indy Eleven signs Elvis Amoh

It’s been a couple of seasons with Elvis Amoh had a season with double-digit goals in the USL Championship – a feat he achieved in consecutive seasons with Rio Grande Valley FC in 2021 and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in 2022, scoring 13 goals across the regular season and playoffs in each campaign – but there’s still a lot to like as to what the Ghanaian can bring to the table as Indy Eleven refreshes its forward unit this offseason.

The 32-year-old might have had only three goals and three assists in 25 appearances for Detroit City FC, but his underlying numbers were extremely healthy for Le Rouge, even after his minutes dropped following an early-season injury. In fact, Amoh’s +5.69 Goals Added mark was the best in DCFC’s squad last season, narrowly ahead of fellow forward Ben Morris (+5.53). That all-around game, including Amoh’s ability to hold up play and distribute, could prove valuable for the Boys in Blue as a starter or off the bench.

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