The soccer season just got better! Sure, the top two professional USL men’s leagues have been underway for a few months and the US Open Cup has just wrapped up the Round of 32… but its really the launch of the amateur leagues which signal that the summer of soccer is upon us.

Our writers and favorite contributors take a close look at the biggest storylines in USL League Two; will the legends of amateur soccer find their way to the playoffs yet again; what young organizations will upturn the apple carts this season; and who will look the best doing it?

Des Moines Menace vs Peoria City

05/11 at Valley Stadium

One team I’m keeping an eye on this season is the Des Moines Menace. This season is the club’s 30 anniversary and the two-time PDL/USL League Two champs not only want a third title but are possibly looking forward to a professional future. The Menace are connected to Pro Iowa. That organization has acquired an USL Championship contingent on building a stadium which meets professional requirements. We’ll see if the Menace are a contender in their opening match against Peoria City.

Dan Creel - Protagonist Soccer

San Francisco City FC vs Project 51O

05/11 at Matthew J Boxer Stadium

SFCityFC, decked out in their MUNI kits are set to kick off their USL League Two season by hosting the Oakland Root’s development squad in what looks to be beautiful weather at the historic Matthew J Boxer Stadium. City finished 5th last season in the NorCal Division, and Project 510 finished above them, in 3rd - The Peninsular side also beat the East Bay team twice, home and away. The finest supporter-owned and operated club in the land will be looking to stick it to them again, but mostly just to get this season off to a good start and compete for a playoff spot.

Josh Duder - Protagonist Soccer

Corpus Christi FC vs Houston FC

05/11 at Cabaniss Soccer Fields

These two teams have been in the league together for a few years now so I would expect going into this match they should know the tactics and how to play against each other. That also means there are some grudges and maybe some retribution on the line. If you’re a fan of Texas soccer this is the only USL2 matchup this weekend.

Danielle Gawronski - Protagonist Soccer

Monterey Bay FC 2 vs San Francisco Glens SC

05/19 at Cardinale Stadium

Monterey Bay FC 2 and San Francisco Glens split their series in 2023, a 1-0 Bay win preceded a 3-0 Glens emphatic beatdown. San Francisco would slip up late in the season, likely looking ahead to a matchup with Project 510, and lose to Marin FC Legends. That loss proved the difference in the Glens surrendering the ‘23 NorCal title to MBFC2. SFG will be keen on righting that perceived wrong, and they can go a long way towards accomplishing that early on in the season when they visit Cardinale Stadium in mid-May.

*Potential Darkhorse: San Francisco City FC. The 3-6 places were separated by two points on the Nor Cal table in ‘23. The Fierroyoro were caught in the middle of that crowded pack. The Iron & Gold’s 5th place finish represented growth from their previous 8-spots in 2019 and 2022, and a jump of similar magnitude this year would be putting them in the top three conversation, at the very least.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer

Northern Virginia FC vs Lionsbridge FC

05/29 at Shentel Stadium

The first half of the 2023 season had many believing the Lionsbridge dynastic grip of the Chesapeake Division would end after just one year. But NoVa FC stumbled late in season, then fumbled both a divisional crown and a playoff spot, and Lionsbridge FC found themselves again ascendent of the Chesapeake throne. The national finalists from Newport News will be keen to make a run at returning to the championship stage, following their brilliant effort 2900 miles from home to close the 2023 campaign. The defending East Conference champs more likely than not have their neighbors in Winchester, Virginia circled more than once on the calendar as a potential roadblock to be well aware of and ready for. The sides first meeting, at Shentel Stadium, carries the import of likely definition of the end-season results.

*Potential Darkhorse: Virginia Beach United. VBU quietly finished a mere two points behind Christos FC on the Chesapeake table in 2023. If a few close results from ‘23 find their fortunes reversed in ‘24, and if Christos gets distracted by more twitter conflicts than pitch performances, the opening may be there for VBU to take a well placed aim at the crown of their Tidewater rivals.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer

Weston FC vs Miami AC

05/29 at Cypress Bay High School

2023 was a breakout year for Weston FC. Oft resigned to last place in their NPSL/PDL/USL2 competitions, the average placement of Weston sides from 2015-2022 would be very close to 8th. That all changed last season when the club from the northwest Miami suburb supplanted preseason favorite and PSG affiliate FC Miami City and held off Miami AC to take the South Florida division crown. FC Miami City now departed, its fellow SE Florida club Miami AC that remains the likely closest competitor in Weston FC’s way to prevent a repeat. The Suburbians host the Palms at Cypress Bay High School in late May.

*Potential Darkhorse: Sarasota Paradise. With a unique brand, story, and serious effort to affect community involvement, the Paradise could become the fourth corner of a national quartet including Vermont Green, Ballard FC, and Redlands FC. Throw in being home to some of the best beaches in the US at Siesta Key and Sarasota should be one of the most sought after destinations for players looking to ply their summer skills in USL2.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer

Arizona Arsenal vs FC Tucson

05/30 at WakeMed Soccer Park

FC Tucson might have found their level. The Southwest division came down to the wire last year with the Division being decided by a single point. This year I am expecting more of the same. I am going to force this rivalry to be a thing. Rivalries are good for the sport! Arizona Arsenal had a rough season last year, but I am hoping (for the sake of the rivalry I made up) that this year things are different. Last year the games between these two were full of goals. A 2-2 draw and a 5-1 win for FC Tucson hopefully means these fixtures are going to at least be entertaining.

Then on June 9, Redlands vs FC Tucson: The division winners and best branded team in USL League 2 take on FC Tucson. This should be a good barometer on how good this FC Tucson team will be this season. If they can start the season off well maybe they can actually make some noise.

Elijah Newsome - CHN Radio / SB Nation

NOVA FC vs Christos FC

06/01 at Segra Field

Gotta love it when the two big boys get on the mat together. Both of these clubs are packed with talent and always in the competition. I expect this match to be a heavyweight battle and I’m here for it! It will be interesting to see what the standings are coming into this matchup, as this (and the return fixture the next week) could become super important.

Dan Vaughn - Protagonist Soccer

Asheville City SC vs East Atlanta FC

06/01 at Greenwood Field

It’s a whole new world in the South Central for defending divisional champion Asheville City SC. Gone is their lockhorned frenemy SC United Bantams, who’ve left for the South Atlantic. Also gone are apparently folded programs North Alabama FC and Dalton Red Wolves. While new kids Birmingham Legion FC2, Dothan United and Athens United sort out first year jitters, East Atlanta FC is left the early-on torch bearer of competition to prevent the Blues from repeating as division champions.

Perhaps sensing the responsibility of victorious results, EAFC has swapped their stone mountain-y gray and crimson for a sea-march hue of blue in their crest. A June 1st date in the Smokies will tell us if improvements to the side run deeper than their colors.

*Potential Darkhorse: Birmingham Legion FC 2. With Tennessee SC likely content with a third straight 5th place finish, Southern Soccer Academy the new doormat with NAFC’s departure, and the Uniteds of Dothan and Athens being unknowns in new markets, the darkhorse moniker falls upon the Junior Hammers Mallets. With the assured depth and structure a USLC parent program can provide, B’ham may supplant EAFC as the Blues’ biggest competitor.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer

AHFC Royals vs Twin City Toucans FC

06/04 at Edible Field

One of the biggest surprises in 2023, the Albion Houston FC Royals unshackled themselves from mid table mediocrity and claimed the Lone Star title outright, clearing a returned-to-form Brazos Valley Cavalry Twin City Toucans FC side by seven points. In 2024, it’s back to being the Royals and the Toucans at the front lines drawn for the division title.

*Potential Darkhorse: Corpus Christi FC. The Sharks have been circling the cusp of divisional success for several years now, and this season is ripe for Corpus Christi to make a move. The club has been open about their ambitions of moving to the professional level. Some on-field successes this year could bring in a fan presence and create momentum for a professional league jump.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer

AFC Ann Arbor vs Flint City Bucks

06/05 at Atwood Stadium

One of the most obvious match-up picks of the season, Ann Arbor and Flint City both took advantage of Kalamazoo’s precipitous 2023 fall down the Great Lakes division table. While the Mighty Oaks and Bucks had a tight race in 2022, Flint City outclassed every other rival in winning the divisional crown by 12 points last year. It looks likely that the only team that might be able to slow a similar dominant regular season from the Bucks is Ann Arbor. We’ll know if the Mighty Oaks can keep it close and slow Flint City’s tear through the division by the end of the first Wednesday night in June.

*Potential Darkhorse: Oakland County FC - The Royal Oak, MI side has gone from 6th place on the divisional table in ‘21, to 5th in ‘22, then 3rd in ‘23. A third place, or higher, finish is not out of the question for this squad in 2024.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer

Western Mass vs Seacoast United

06/07 at Lusitano Stadium

A rare three-installment viewing in this list, the matches playing out in the Hampton, NH - Burlington, VT - Ludlow, MA triangle in 2024 should be just as momentous as as their 2022 and 2023 installments. In a Northeast Division where Vermont Green receives most of the attention, they’ve finished third in both the past two campaigns to the Seacoast United Phantoms and Western Mass Pioneers. All three sides reached the postseason in ‘22, but league playoff structure meant a painful sidelining of the Green in 2023. That structure has changed in ‘24, and all three sides have an opportunity to claim postseason spots. The feuds between them this season are now for seeding and bragging rights. An eight-day period in early June will inform us all as to where the preponderance of those rights will lay and will also include:

Seacoast United vs Vermont at Seacoast United Complex on 06/11
Vermont vs Western Mass at Virtue Field on 06/15

*Potential Darkhorse: Pathfinder FC - The Wolves clambered from 9th to 4th place last season, and might look to make a similar leap in 2024 if they can catch any of the three contenders on some off nights.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer

Hudson Valley Hammers vs Long Island Rough Riders

06/09 at Mitchell Athletic Complex

Proving their third place finish in their Metropolitan Division freshman campaign in ‘22 wasn’t an aberration, the Hammer of the Hudson Valley led the Metro table for much of 2023. Their top perch slipped away late in the regular season to the sustained power program from Long Island.

With the largest division in the league somehow still growing this offseason, the 2024 imbalance schedule means that The Rough Riders host the Hammers in their only regular season matchup. A victory to the hosts could mean an extension of the Metropolitan status quo, while a Hammer win might signal the young Hudson Valley program has gotten over the hump.

*Potential Darkhorse: New Jersey Copa FC - While Manhattan SC will certainly have their say in this stacked division. NJCFC has been staying just under the third place line the past two seasons. It feels like year four in the USL2 could be the season that the Metuchen, NJ side solves, at least in part, their higher level competition.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer

Des Moines Menace vs Chicago City SC

06/12 at Hoyne Stadium

The Menace finished below first place in their division in regular season competition for just the second time since 2013 last year. Sure, it was just a second place, postseason berth, national top eight finish and an open cup berth kinda dropoff year for Des Moines, but the standards for the Menace program mean expectations are always higher. Those higher expectations will go directly through Hoyne Stadium, home of 2023 Heartland Division champion Chicago City SC. CCSC won’t catch the Menace sleeping on them this year, nor would the Citizens want them to. When these two sides meet for the first time on June 12th, it will be must-livestream viewing.

*Potential Darkhorse: River Light FC. Few League 2 debutantes finish their inaugural seasons above mid-table. However, River Light FC has methodically built both their club and their roster towards making a first-year impact similar to the rule exceptions like Vermont Green, Ballard FC and Redlands FC have done in recent years. Whether they succeed in making a postseason run or not, this club will certainly be one that will have their home fans in Aurora, IL coming back for more.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer

Vermont Green FC at Seacoast United

05/11 at Seacoast United Phantoms Complex

In 2023, Seacoast United Phantoms won the Northeast Division with 34 points from 14 played and a +16 Goal Differential and in 2022 they did it even more convincingly, with 37 points and a +24 GD. And in all that time, Vermont Green were there too… finishing 3rd in the last two seasons and even defeating the division champs 2-1 the last time they visited the Phantoms Complex.

However, the Phantoms had won the 3 prior meetings and have outscored Green 7-4 all time. Is this the year Vermont get the better of the champs or do Seacoast United stay kings of the smiling mountain?

Josh Duder - Protagonist Soccer

Salem City FC vs South Carolina United Bantams

06/12 at Truist Sports Park

Greensboro Dynamo, Carolina Dynamo, North Carolina Fusion U-23, Salem City FC have gone through a few name changes over the past years, but something consistent in the last four has been their top place in the South-Atlantic standings. Beyond those regular season divisional crowns, the club has compiled two national top 8 finishes, a national semifinalist and one national finalist rankings in those four years. No small feat when situated in a division spanning a well known soccer bed region of the nation.
Charlotte and West Virginia will again get their chances against the Chimera, but it’s the new arrival from the southernmost Carolina that may throw down the gauntlet in 2024 to unseat Salem City in the South Atlantic. Three seasons removed from outright winning the Deep South, and only bending the knee to Asheville City last year in the South Central on goal differential, the Bantams will look to be one of the few clubs to ever earn a postseason berth in competition across three separate divisions. They’ll have their home shot at Salem City a week earlier, but it’s their away trek to Winston Salem on June 12th that could be pivotal to the final table.

*Potential Darkhorse: Wake FC. While Charlotte Eagles and West Virginia United seem more obvious picks, Wake FC made strides last season, and are reloading this year with a deep roster cultivated from collegiate programs at all levels, both local and nationwide. Expect much more competitive contests from Wake than in previous years, potentially contesting for postseason play.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer

Brave SC vs Nona FC

06/15 at The H.G. Morse Range

Defending Southeast Division and South Conference Champions Villages SC have rebranded to Brave SC, and scrubbed the forest green from their colors for a lovely deep shade of brown. What hasn’t changed ahead of 2024 is the Villages-based club’s intention of continuing their run of best-in Florida season performances as they seek a national title. The only club that’s proven, in their relatively short history, up to the task of slowing the stampede of the Villages Brave Buffalo is Southeast Orlando’s Nona FC. Built on old Florida cattle fields, the Longhorns actually stunned the Buffalo in 2022, winning the division crown. Brave SC slipped past them by a single point in 2023 (after two draws between the sides). 2024 is the first grudge match season for the two sides, and mid-June will be the first opportunity to see them contest in Southeast division competition that may be a guaranteed two-bovine race.

*Potential Darkhorse: Inter Gainesville KF. With Brevard SC typically hapless, Brooke House FC a curious cross-pond experiment and Florida Elite Soccer Academy more development-minded, any competition between the locked horns of the Bison and Longhorns will have to originate further north along I-75 in Gainesville. The club formerly known as Leg-AZ Worldwide International of the UPSL has (thankfully) re-monikered upon joining USL2. The Panthers should benefit from the talent hotbed in their hometown and could compete well early. Tapping into pre-existing local rivalries could make their matches vs Brave SC a fun watch.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer

Thunder Bay Chill vs RKC Third Coast

06/15 at Tbaytel Field

RKC Third Coast sauntered into the league to little fanfare, then proceeded to drub several new rivals in turn to race out to an early division lead. Their shot at the divisional title took a dip on their Canadian tour though, starting with a loss to eventual divisional champ, Thunder Bay Chill. TBC would pair that first victory with another two weeks later, responsible for two of RKC3C’s three losses on the season. The Gulls come into the 2024 campaign with a strikingly handsome crest refresh, a renewed social media presence, and a serious chip on their shoulder towards that team north of the border. Thunder Bay and RKC3C play out their home and home matches over a week in mid-June. That first meeting on June 15th could be the one that sets the tone for how both the grudge match, and the second half of the divisional season, plays out.

*Potential Darkhorse: Rochester FC. The combined efforts of the former Med City FC (NPSL) club staff along with Rochester’s existing structure could make the Loons a trendy pick to pull off some surprises in 2024 in a competitive Great North division.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer

Lionsbridge FC vs Northern Virginia FC

06/15 at TowneBank Stadium

If these two aren’t rivals yet, it's only a matter of time. Last year they finished 1st and 2nd, respectively, with Lionsbridge winning the Chesapeake Division for the second year in a row. NOVA have been a thorn in their side, beating them 3-2 last June but Lionsbridge smashed them 4-1 the month before that. They seem to have a nice little competition going and by the middle of this June, this game could be very important.

Joshua Duder - Protagonist Soccer

Ballard FC vs FC Olympia

06/23 at Memorial Stadium

Defending National Champions Ballard FC had one single blemish on their record in 2023. A lonesome stunner of a loss to then-Oly Town Artesians, whose GK played out of his mind to preserve a 3-2 upset of the Bridges after the Olympia side had previously been suffocated by Ballard in 4-0 and 5-0 defeats. Looking to run it back in 2024, a 6/23 rematch, against now-FC Olympia, in new home Memorial Stadium, should be circled by Ballard FC players, fans and casuals alike.

*Potential Darkhorse: Midlakes United. The SeaTac Metro area has grown from two sides in ‘23 to five clubs in 2024. Of the three new entrants, Midlakes United in Belleview appears the most interesting project on its face. The Lakers have hit the ground running as a club across all facets of preparation and could be the new side in the PNW that makes the most noise.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer

Little Rock Rangers SC vs Louisiana Krewe

07/06 at War Memorial Stadium

A rare preseason matchup pick that doesn’t include a 2023 divisional titlist, the 2024 edition of Stags vs Krewe could be one of the defining games for the Mid-South crown. If you consider matches decided by penalties as advancements rather than wins/losses, the last time Little Rock Rangers SC lost a match was on 7-12-23. That loss came at home in the regular season finale at the hands of Louisiana Krewe. The 2023 2nd and 3rd place finishers last year are the two obvious challengers for the title this season with ‘23 champ Texas United folding operations. Both squads return significant pieces of dynamic attacks and their 2024 meetings are bound to feature multiple scores.

* Potential Darkhorse: Hattiesburg FC. The Mid-South new kids have been developing a deep talent base at the academy for decades, and a first team in the GCPL prior to the USL2 move. Having a sneaky good recruiting ground in the Gulf Coast across all levels of collegiate ball means the Thunder out of Southern Mississippi might rumble a bit louder and earlier than many might expect.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer

New Mexico Utd u23 vs Albion Colorado

07/10 at Ivan Head Stadium

New Mexico United’s U23 side truly underscores the ‘United’ in their name with their tradition of playing their home matches at venues across the state to cement themselves as New Mexico’s team. Games in Gallup, Taos, and Albuquerque all hold their importance, but the July date in Sante Fe against Albion SC Colorado (formerly Boulder County United) is an early contender for ‘match that most determines the Mountain Division title’ designation. With Park City Red Wolves dissolved in 2024, the throne is vacant and NMUu23 & ASCC, on paper, seem the two most legitimate claimants.

*Potential Darkhorse: Utah United. There’s a notable void left in the Mountain region with the departure of Park City. Here to fill that void is expansion side Utah United. While their social media game is pretty silent (outside of instagram) their staff has amassed an impressive lineup of in-state academy products and league 2 veterans alike. Don’t be shocked if the division trophy is lifted in the foothills of the Wasatch range.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer

Ocean City Nor’Easters at West Chester United

07/13 at Carey Stadium

In 2022, West Chester United finished a distant second to the Nor’easters in the Mid-Atlantic Division. The 2023 table completed with the same 1-2 billing, but the 12-point gap in 2022 was narrowed down to 1. Could this be the season WCU wrests the Mid-Atlantic crown from Ocean City? While both meetings are important, the final match week date at Carey Stadium carries a lot more weight to see where the consistent combatants close the table.

*Potential Darkhorse: Reading United AC. 2018-2019 may seem an age ago, and certainly an eternity in lower league USA soccer years. Many may have forgotten that, in the two seasons previous to the covid shutdown, Reading United played in the national finals of the last USLPDL season and the first USL League 2 campaign. The year 2024 could be the perfect time for Reading to remind us all of their lofty past.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer

Redlands FC vs Ventura County Fusion

07/11 at Ventura College Stadium Field

2023 USL 2 freshman side Redlands FC found themselves staring down 2022 National Champions Ventura County Fusion as a near neighbor and divisional rival. After getting squeezed 1-3 in an earlier match-up, the Fighting Citrus juiced the Fusion, 4-1, and claimed the Southwest division title by a single stunning point. No one is sneaking up on anyone else this year, and VCF wisely secured their final match of the season, against their newest biggest rival, at home.

*Potential Darkhorse: FC Tucson. Lost in the title battle between VCF and Redlands FC is the fact that FC Tucson shared the table with the Fusion, but ceded the second position to Ventura on goal differential. Any early slip from the California teams in ‘24 and FCT could leap them both in a hurry.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer

St Croix vs MPLS City SC

07/14 at Stillwater High School

By the last matchday of the regular season, Bavarian or maybe Thunder Bay Chill, or maybe RKC Third Coast, or even maybe Rochester FC will have the season wrapped up - but probably not. This division will likely be close and could even come down to the last game. Two old NPSL rivals going hammer and tongs to win the division? Fingers crossed.

Joshua Duder - Protagonist Soccer

Fort Wayne FC vs Kings Hammer

07/13 at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium

After being on the outside looking in on the League 2 postseason their first two years, Fort Wayne FC finally broke through the Valley Division competition in 2023. FWFC claimed the division title by 13 points over nearest challenger Cleveland Force, going unbeaten in the process.

Their success came at Kings Hammer’s expense, as the northern Kentucky team fell from postseason clinching grace for the first time in their own league two history. The Indiana side will be eager to prove their 2023 season wasn’t a fluke, while Kings Hammer will be motivated to prove last season was exactly that. The season ending tilt at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium will go far in telling us all if either remains the case or not.

*Potential Darkhorse: Toledo Villa FC. Cleveland Force may have pulled out the runner-up divisional spot last year, but TVFC was very much in play until the 2023 season’s final game. Going from PLA to UPSL to NPSL to USL League 2 over seven seasons is an achievement in itself, growing in competitiveness over the last three seasons for 7th, 4th and 3rd place finishes even more so. The Villains of the Glass City are motivated by their growing success and hungry to take another step forward.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer

Edited by Joshua Duder
Special thanks to all contributors - we couldn’t do things like this without you!