Whether you’re diving into USL Championship for another season as a veteran or you’ve been drawn to the League because you’re looking for something other than MLS and all the baggage that comes with that, prioritizing every match. With parity on a level we have not seen before and with the amount of ambitious clubs now in the League, there is a genuinely compelling reason to tune in to every single one. Opening weekend gets us off to a great start and we’ll take a look at just why you should be watching each and every match.

Black and Yellow Bash

New Mexico United vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds- 4pm ET

The reigning Players’ Shield winners Pittsburgh under the steady hand of Bob Lilley travel all the way to the Land of Enchantment and face off against a refreshed New Mexico United under new boss Eric Quill. NMU have plenty to prove after they finished last season on a good clip but are now prepared for life after Amando Moreno and Chris Wehan. Greg Hurst, Marco Micaletto and Mukwelle Akale could form a very interesting attacking trio which also welcomes Cristian Nava back from his serious injury that kept him out last year. They’ll bring a high energy press to get right in Pittsburgh’s face but the unflappable Hounds have been able to restock their spine with solid pieces. Kenardo Forbes, Robbie Mertz and Danny Griffin will be tasked with knitting the pieces into a cohesive unit before their trip to Albuquerque and that is a press-resistant trio in midfield. Either way, this is a great first test for both teams that will answer quite a few questions right out of the blocks. Will NMU’s new attack get firing quickly? Will Pittsburgh be able to withstand a long, early-season road trip? Have Pittsburgh got enough firepower up front to complement their spine? Will the 2pm local kick off be enough to avoid the setting sun scorching the retinas of the watching public?

And finally, can the new-look young guns in yellow and black overcome the tried and tested Hounds in black and yellow?

Surprise Party

Memphis 901 vs Las Vegas Lights - 4pm ET

Sometimes the party is a surprise because you don’t know it is happening. Other times, and in the case of this match, it’s a surprise because you aren’t sure who’s on the guest list. I’ve been absolutely fascinated with Vegas’ offseason since they were purchased by Jose Bautista but you simply can’t ignore this project anymore. It is simply box office. There are still plenty of pieces to add in the next weeks before kickoff but the base consisting of the likes of Christian Pinzon, Riki Alba, Charlie Adams, Emrah Klimenta and now Solomon Asante means this is a match you simply cannot miss. NMU and Pittsburgh fans should put this on a second screen.

As for Memphis, they have put together a solid offseason of their own. Neco Brett is the latest signing to swap sides in the Southern Harm Derby, joining from Birmingham. Him, Marlon, Luiz Fernando, Noe Meza and Bruno Lapa make for a potent attack. Emerson Hyndman was an absolute revelation in central midfield last season and if they can figure out a consistent back four to keep Tyler Deric from having to do the spectacular in goal, they can be a force this year.

Come for the Vegas chaos, stay because this is likely to be one of the most fun matches of the opening weekend.

The Boys Are Back in Town

North Carolina FC vs Charleston Battery - 7pm ET

Welcome back to the USL Championship North Carolina FC, here is a matchup against one of last year’s finalists. The elephant in the room is that Charleston are not the same team that made that final last year but the changes have been in needed areas with players that manager Ben Pirmann knows well and trusts, as well as some true game changers. Jake LaCava, Aaron Molloy and Graham Smith join the likes of Nick Markanich, Arturo Rodriguez and Emilio Ycaza to form a solid unit from the back through the front. This core being in place will seek to support a young striking corps made up of MLS Next Pro veterans in MD Myers and Jackson Conway. Filling the shoes of Augi Williams won’t be easy but seeing what Pirmann’s new group can do to start their campaign to avenge that Finals loss will be worth tuning in.

For NCFC, they are rejoining the USL Championship after three seasons in USL League 1. This “strategic move” seems to have done exactly what the club intended, with them reaching a level in that League as one of the best on the field. The foundation of a League-winning side in 2023 was a solid one that they added to thoughtfully this offseason. John Bradford brought in Collin Martin and Evan Conway from SD Loyal and Jacori Hayes from San Antonio FC to add quality on the wing and in central midfield. But it was the signing of Rodrigo Da Costa from Memphis that really propelled this side into a different category. Oalex Anderson and Garrett McLaughlin were an elite striker pairing in USL1, but Da Costa elevates them immensely.

Will Battery fend off the new guy or will NCFC make a big statement to announce their return?

Pressure Gauges

Miami FC vs Colorado Springs Switchbacks - 7pm ET

This may be my hardest sell so far. The reality for Miami FC is that they added Antonio Nocerino as their manager and then surrounded him with USL1 talent and Italian teenagers. Since this isn’t Kicking and Screaming, I’m not sure “get the ball to the Italians” will be a viable strategy. There could be something hiding here but they are being widely expected to finish dead last of the East by a large margin. The reality is they may just be Loudoun 2.0. That being said, there was a certain charm to Loudoun and they have produced a fair few exciting young talents. Miami probably are worth tuning into just to see what sort of progress the likes of Allen Gavilanes and David Mejia make up front. Plus I really like Gabriel Cabral in midfield.

They open the season against a Switchbacks team that made a splash by signing Ronaldo Damus and then added marginal improvement but the question is will this be a big enough step out West to be a playoff team? Damus and Maalique Foster will be interesting but I think this team still is missing something that could propel them to the next level.

All that being said, this match serves as a great gauge of just where these squads are. Can Nocerino get the youths firing quickly or will this be a renewed Switchbacks team that puts them to the sword?

Reinvention

San Antonio FC vs Loudoun United - 8:30pm

For a Loudoun side that is finally taking it’s first real steps into being an independent operator in 2024, you wouldn’t have wanted to see a trip to San Antonio drawn from a hat as your first test. That said, their new veteran contingent will make this trip easier than they would have found it in the past. Florian Valot, Christiano Francois, Tommy McCabe and Drew Skundrich add legitimate mettle to a unit that struggled oftentimes because of the pure youth of the side. This from a group that already had serious threat up front in the form of Zach Ryan, Kalil ElMedkhar and Tommy Williamson. A little resilience could have this team going quite a long way.

This is then matched up with a SAFC side that is attempting to reinvent itself in the wake of several high profile departures in PC, Conor Maloney and most recently the newest member of Las Vegas Lights in Fabien Garcia. This combined with the departure of a load of players who were on loan or on short-term deals means this team will have a very different feel once again. Juan Agudelo joining Santi Patino and Lucho Solignac in attack feels serious while snagging Kevon Lambert is a statement for sure.

Whose reinvention will pay off quicker in South Texas?

Statement of Intent

El Paso Locomotive vs Hartford Athletic - 9pm ET

The two teams meeting in West Texas have a fair amount to prove. El Paso Locomotive have made sweeping changes to a team that is moving into a new era fully under the control of Brian Clarhaut. Hartford and Brendan Burke are trying to turn around an absolutely dismal season by doing a complete clear out in Hartford. El Paso went the direction of adding loads of proven USL talent to a team that came out of the blocks on fire last year before cooling significantly. Amando Moreno, Justin Dhillon, Tumi Moshobane and Joaquin Rivas were the headline signings but bringing back Noah Dollenmeyer, adding Bolu Akinyode, Elijah Martin and Brandan Craig all felt like big signings in and of themselves. This is a group that feels ready made to compete in the West.

Hartford are a complete unknown. Burke has gone for a handful of reunions with the likes of Marcus Epps, Deshane Beckford and Michee Ngalina all joining him in Hartford having spent time in Colorado Springs. Romario Williams joins from CS as well even though it is not technically a reunion. The names on the sheet, with Triston Hodge and Reece Buckmaster on the flanks and Joey Farrell all represent significant upgrades in defense but the question mark here for me is if Burke can recapture what he found in CS in 2022 without a Hadji Barry type season from one of his men up front. When Barry departed that team, they fell off pretty dramatically in form despite still being Western Conference Finalists in the playoffs.

Which of these USL-ready rosters will get up to speed quicker to contend on opening night?

Fire and Anvil

Phoenix Rising vs Birmingham Legion - 9:30pm ET

The reigning USL Champions are playing in this match and yet they are a bit of an unknown given the amount of turnover this year, particularly up front. Danny Trejo and Manuel Arteaga are both gone along with manager Juan Guerra. Danny Stone, who was Guerra’s assistant means there is definitely continuity in the club’s direction and they still have plenty of pieces who will make them a force in the West. Erickson Gallardo and Darek Formella were clutch for the team up front down the stretch and Panos Armenakas is creative dynamite in advance of Phoenix’s midfield. Some stability in defense should lend itself to them being allowed to carry on. Will they be an improved version of last year’s team though? They clicked come playoff time but they’ll want to aim higher than 6th in the West.

Legion have done a lot to maintain stability under Tommy Soehn but the questions that will be rising in Phoenix for this squad are largely about whether they can fashion enough of an attack with Tyler Pasher and Prosper Kasim with Mohamed Turay and Stefano Pinho. The numbers suggest they’re a bit light of goals, but they could be unlocked by the power both wide and in midfield. Preston Tabortetaka and Diba Nwegbo threaten anyone and Enzo Martinez partnering with Matthew Corcoran in what should be an exciting pair in midfield.

Do Phoenix pick up where they left off despite the change and can Birmingham take a step forward despite the consistency?

Litmus Test

Oakland Roots vs Indy Eleven - 10pm ET

Indy Eleven and Oakland Roots are pretty far apart in terms of expectation. Indy’s offseason started slow with the departure of Mark Lowry but the squad they have built seems capable of doing damage this year while Oakland have a roster that seems capable of something in the League but it is hard to tell exactly what their ceiling is.

No matter how you slice it, adding Augi Williams to a team that already had Sebastian Guenzatti, Jack Blake, Douglas Martinez and Aodhan Quinn feels like a dream.Granted they’ll be without Quinn for a stretch as he recovers from a long injury but additions like Tyler Gibson will help to bridge the gap there in central midfield. That attack and midfield has done some serious damage in preseason already so tuning in for that alone should be worth it, but the Sean McAuley era is worth checking out to see if he can get Indy to the next level as a team that can stick in the postseason.

Oakland have plenty of upside and I am a big believer in Noah Delgado finding ways to extract performance from this team. That said, I am not sure they have done enough to upgrade on a team that missed the playoffs by the slimmest of possible margins last year. Lindo Mfeka and Johnny Rodriguez were absolutely lethal on their day but inconsistency plagued the entire team at times. Miche-Naider Chery will be a bit of a wild card as he tries to recreate the form that lit up the CONCACAF Champions League and Niall Logue is a mercurial talent who could genuinely improve their backline. All that said they will have to prove that they can outperform the standard set last year.

Can Indy start well for once and is Oakland going to be a competitor or an also-ran?

California Dreamin’

Sac Republic vs Orange County SC - 10pm ET

Sac Republic and Orange County meet in a California Derby on the opening day which feels novel in a day of a lot of inter-conference matchups. Sac Republic are the odds on favorite to dominate the Western Conference again while Orange County are trying to recover from the loss of one of the best ever scorers in the USL Championship, Milan Iloski. For me, this game is up there with one of the best matchups of the weekend as two teams try to show just what they are capable of.

Sac Republic reloaded for 2024. Russell Cicerone returns along with Rodrigo Lopez who missed most of 2023 with an injury. Christian Parano will almost certainly be a more key figure this year and they added to that group Trevor Amman, the top scorer from USL1 with 23 goals. Nick Ross and Luis Felipe will add dynamism and steel in midfield while Damia Viader and Jack Gurr make up the best full back pairing in USL for my money. This squad is poised to go again under manager Mark Briggs and the potential fireworks added to a team that had the best defensive record in the entirety of the League means they will be a force you just have to watch each week.

Orange County trying to recover from the loss of Milan Iloski is no small feat but Morten Karlsen feels like he is doing his level best to advance the team despite the loss. The spine of the team is intact and the midfield trio of Kevin Partida, Seth Casiple and Kyle Scott feel like the most important retentions by the team. Adding Sofiane Djeffal for what he brings dynamically to that midfield does feel like it moves the needle as well. Can Thomas Amang, Ethan Zubak, Christian Sorto and Bryce Jamison be enough to replace Iloski in the aggregate?

Two California sides dreaming of more in 2024, who will start this year with a bang?

- Phil Baki