Welcome to the latest installment of the players you need to know at every club in the USL Championship as we continue the countdown to the start of the 2025 season on Saturday, March 8.

Today it’s the turn of the newcomers, including some who’ve made an intriguing move within the USL Championship itself, others from USL League One aiming to emulate their prior success as they enter the league, and some fascinating arrivals from overseas that could make an impact on their club’s immediate fortunes.

Our picks for the Western Conference are below, for our picks in the Eastern Conference, click here.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC – Anthony Fontana

The trajectory for Anthony Fontana coming out of an abbreviated 2020 season with the Philadelphia Union that saw him record six goals in 17 appearances and help the side to the MLS Supporters’ Shield was on the way up. After logging regular starts the following year, however, a midseason concussion that sidelined him for more than two months proved a major roadblock for the midfielder, one that after stints with Ascoli in Italy’s Serie B and PEC Zwolle in the Eerste Divisie in the Netherlands has brought him to Colorado Springs in search of a fresh start.

The relationships Fontana has at the Switchbacks organization via the Union – including Head Coach James Chambers, who was his teammate when he broke in at Bethlehem Steel FC – bring with them an in-built trust the 25-year-old will get the chance to thrive. As a potential addition alongside the likes of fellow midfielders Zach Zandi and Marco Micaletto, the hope will be Fontana can recapture his form and get back on a path that looked so promising a few years ago.

El Paso Locomotive FC – Daniel Carter

Having come through the ranks at one of Honduras’ historic powers – C.D. Real España – forward Daniel Carter has produced enough at 21 years of age to make his debut for the senior national team and record 10 goals across all competitions at the club level. The recent challenge, however, has been earning First Team minutes, as while Carter scored three goals in the 2024 Honduran Apertura, they came over just 315 minutes of action, primarily as a substitute.

Arriving on loan at El Paso Locomotive FC for the new season, the potential for minutes is there. Listed as a center forward, Carter will have competition for the No. 9 spot from veteran Frank Lopez, but the pedigree he brings speaks for itself. For a Locomotive side looking for its first double-digit goalscorer since Luis Solignac and Dylan Mares both reached the mark in 2022, Carter will be hoping to provide the sort of attacking boost that can bring the crowd at Southwest University Park to its feet.

FC Tulsa – Taylor Calheira

Coming out of UMBC, Taylor Calheira might not have been very high on a lot of MLS club’s boards, but after being selected in the Third Round of the 2024 SuperDraft by New York City FC, the 22-year-old striker quickly made a big impression. The America East Striker of the Year tore up MLS NEXT Pro and starred in the NYCFC II’s run in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, recording 14 goals and seven assists across the two competitions, and ended the year earning MLSNP Best XI honors.

After being acquired by FC Tulsa this offseason via a transfer, the hope is Calheira can continue his upward trajectory. The comparison here is to MD Myers, who was also an MLSNP Best XI player for New York City FC II in 2023 before being acquired by the Charleston Battery, where he went on to score 14 goals in his first USL Championship campaign. If Calheira can come close to matching that production, he could guide the Scissortails back to the postseason for the first time since 2021.

Las Vegas Lights FC – Daouda Peeters

If there’s a story to root for in the USL Championship this season, it’s Daouda Peeters, who arrives at Las Vegas Lights from Juventus after a remarkable comeback from a potentially career-ending condition. The Belgian youth national team player made his Serie A debut for Juve in 2020, but after heading on loan to Standard Liege was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that attacks the peripheral nervous system, the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord.

During a two-year recovery period, Peeters relearned how to walk and play again, and in September 2023 made his return to the field on loan in Serie B with Südtirol. After making 19 appearances in Italy’s second tier that season, he returned to Juventus and competed for reserve team Juve Next Gen in Serie C, logging 11 appearances this season. Now he’ll head to the Lights looking to write the next chapter and help his new club continue its upward progression.

Lexington SC – Nick Firmino

Since becoming part of Atlanta United’s organization in 2022 – first with the reserve side before moving onto a First Team contract – Nick Firmino has been a player caught between two spaces. Too good for the level at MLS NEXT Pro – where he put up 19 goals and nine assists in 47 appearances between the 2023 and 2024 seasons – but not quite able to bridge the gap to Major League Soccer, even while having bright moments in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for the side.

That made him an ideal target for a club like Lexington SC as it moved into the USL Championship, with the Brazilian now aiming to play a key role in the attacking third this season. Playing as second forward, the 24-year-old can provide creativity and finishing for his new club as it tries to make a big impact in the West.

Monterey Bay FC – Adam Larsson

If you’ve flipped through the Eastern Conference version of this story, there’s a similarity in the storyline for Adam Larsson and new Detroit City FC arrival Darren Smith, both of whom have arrived in the Championship from Finland’s top flight this offseason. In the case of Larsson, he arrives in Monterey Bay having recorded 14 goals in 30 appearances across all competitions for IFK Mariehamn this past season, a side that sits a little lower than Smith’s FC Inter Turku in the pecking order in Finland, and closer to the likes of Loudoun United in Opta’s Global Power Rankings.

While that’s the case, there remains a solid goalscoring pedigree the 25-year-old native of Sweden is bringing to his new surroundings. For a Monterey Bay side that’s in need of a major injection of attacking talent, having someone who’s put up more than 50 goals in his professional career is certainly promising. He’ll arrive in NorCal with an opportunity to take hold of the starting No. 9 position and run with it. 

New Mexico United – Gedion Zelalem

The journey of Gedion Zelalem from being spotted at the Dallas Cup by Arsenal scout Danny Karbassiyoon to joining the historic English club’s Academy meant the ensuing years were filled with the sort of hope and aspiration American soccer fans love. But while he appeared for the Gunners in both the UEFA Champions League and F.A. Cup, a sequence of injuries and false starts have meant the 28-year-old has never reached the peaks that could have been in his career.

That doesn’t mean Zelalem should be written off, though, especially given the support he’ll receive at a club like New Mexico United. On paper, he could be the ideal player to fill the gap left in central midfield by the departed Houssou Landry and Marco Micaletto. As tough as his road has been – per FBRef.com, Zelalem has made 90 senior appearances in his career – this could be the restart that provides a solid foundation and the situation in which he can let his talent thrive.

Oakland Roots SC – Jürgen Damm

At one point early in his career, the hype train carrying Jürgen Damm was hurtling along as he starred for Tigres UANL while the side claimed four LigaMX titles during his tenure at the side. Since his departure from Estadio Universitario to join Atlanta United FC in 2020, however, things have gradually slowed for the former Mexico international, who now makes the jump to Oakland Roots SC after most recently competing for Atletico de San Luis.

Having last seen live action last July in Leagues Cup against Club de Foot Montreal, there will be a question as to how quickly the 32-year-old can get up to speed in his new surroundings. There’s also the question of where he might best be deployed, with Oakland having an opening at right back with the departure of Memo Diaz to El Paso Locomotive but the potential Damm could be used further up the field. At the same time, this could end up being a fascinating chapter, one where Damm will be eager to show he’s still got something to offer.

Orange County SC – Lyam MacKinnon

Having claimed USL League One’s Player of the Year and Golden Boot in the 2024 season, Lyam MacKinnon was going to be one of the prized players in this offseason’s free agency period. Landing at Orange County SC – which in recent seasons has proven a platform for player to reach even higher levels – could provide MacKinnon with the opportunity to push his game to another and offers a tantalizing attacking threat for OCSC as it looks to build off its late-season momentum last year.

MacKinnon isn’t an out-and-out striker, but his position as an inverted left winger makes him a standout threat as a finisher and creator. Nineteen of the 25-year-old’s 24 goals in League One were right-footed, while he also added nine assists and 56 chances created in 53 appearances. With the opportunity to play off a true center forward like Ethan Zubak or Tristan Trager, MacKinnon should be in a position to succeed as he steps up to the next level.

Phoenix Rising FC – Noble Okello

It’s easy to forget that when Noble Okello was called up by Canada for the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup, he was competing for Toronto FC II in USL League One. The burly defensive midfielder had already earned his Homegrown Player contract with Toronto FC the prior offseason and appeared to be on the verge of a breakthrough for club and country that fit with the resume he’d already built.

Since then, Okello’s progress has stalled somewhat. After his departure from Toronto at the end of the 2022 season, he spent time with both the New England Revolution II and Atlanta United 2, making 26 appearances for the latter in the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season. As he arrives in Phoenix, there’s still potential to be fulfilled for the 24-year-old. If Rising and new Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah can unlock it, Okello could get back on track and on an upward trajectory again.

Sacramento Republic FC – Ryan Spaulding

In his two loan stints with the Tampa Bay Rowdies from the New England Revolution over the past two campaigns, Ryan Spaulding was both energetic and capable of high quality from the left flank. As he arrives at Sacramento Republic FC, those two qualities should mesh well at a club that under Head Coach Neill Collins is likely to take on similar characteristics to that which delivered success for him in Tampa Bay.

At their peak, the Rowdies were among the most cross-heavy teams in the Championship, ranking second in completed crosses (191) and third in attempted crosses (706) during their 2021 Players’ Shield-winning season. Spaulding experienced that – his loan stint in 2023 came prior to Collins’ mid-season departure to Barnsley FC – and it was a situation he thrived in. Acting as a counterbalance to Jack Gurr on the right side, Republic FC could achieve similar levels this season.

San Antonio FC – Alex Greive

One of the fundamental issues for San Antonio FC in 2024 was its lack of attacking consistency. The club’s 36 goals in the regular season marked the lowest goals-per-game average in a season and tied the club’s inaugural year – which featured a 30-game regular season slate – for the fewest goals in a full campaign. Alex Greive’s arrival this offseason after a stint with Bohemians in the League of Ireland Premier Division is aimed at addressing that, with hope the New Zealand international can help the side regain its attacking edge.

For that to come to fruition, Greive is going to need to up his production. His time with Bohemians saw him record two goals and one assist in 15 appearances, while at St. Mirren in the Scottish Premiership he recorded nine goals and two assists in 76 appearances across all competitions. If the 25-year-old can serve as a center forward, allowing Juan Agudelo more freedom to play as a second striker, it could give the side a new look and an improved attacking outlook this season.