Sarasota was extremely clever about manipulating their back half to outnumber the Boise press; I love the example here, where a drop in from Aaron Walker lets Callum Stretch dribble upfield from the center back spot.
Catch up on all things L1 here. ๐
www.backheeled.com/usl-league-o...
๐๏ธWE ARE BACK TO THE GRIND TODAY๐๏ธ
9pm ET/6pm PT
๐ 1 Minute of Stillness
๐ Top 5 Moments of the Week
๐ด Trinity Top Lexington
โก Boise's Historic Win
โ๏ธ Louisville Best in Bluegrass State
AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!
See you tonight at 9pm ET/6pm PT!
Essential weekly reading.
I spent most of last year convinced that Texoma was an elaborate psyop for essentially that reason.
NEW: The USL has enjoyed a decade of dominating the lower league landscape. Since 2015, 20 of its independent clubs have folded - the latest just two weeks before the 2026 season.
Is the USLโs structure built to handle even more jeopardy with pro/rel? www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Every week on Backheeled, I'm catching you up on the latest action from USL League One. To kick 2026 off, I'm looking at:
๐ข A winning, wingback-driven Boise debut
๐น FC Naples in the final third
โญ๏ธ Knoxville's rookie star
โ So much more
Check in! โฌ๏ธ
www.backheeled.com/usl-league-o...
All season long, Backheeled is covering the ins and outs of USL League One ๐
What stood out from opening weekend? And which new teams impressed? @usltactics.com breaks it all down.
Read โคต๏ธ
This League! is liiiiiiiiiive to discuss all things Week 1.
Check in! โฌ๏ธ
www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-MG...
I donโt disagree based on that performance, but Iโm slow to change my priors.
๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐!
Where does your team stand after the first weekend of Championship action? @usltactics.com digs into all 25 squads.
Plus, a player protest โคต๏ธ
USL
CHAMPIONSHIP
POWER
RANKINGS
back in the saddle
โจUSL Championship Power Rankingsโจ
After a full round of action, Iโm going from #1 to #25 to see what mattered this weekend โ starting with a firm message from the players.
Check in, see where your club lands, and catch up on all things USLC. โฌ๏ธ
www.backheeled.com/usl-champion...
Headlined by a league-wide player protest, the USL Championship's opening weekend is in the books.
How did players respond to the lack of a ratified CBA? And where does your club rank after Week 1? @usltactics.com dives in.
Read โคต๏ธ
Terrific build-up to the penalty as well. Brooklyn's been very narrow, but they've picked their spots to push Thomas Vancaeyezeele and So Nishikawa on the overlap to devastating effect.
New York native Juan Carlos Obregon Jr. - who last year won the #USL-1 Golden Boot at Westchester SC - scores the first goal in @brooklynfc.bsky.social's #USL-C history.
Roofs his penalty kick past Indy's Eric Dick after Peter Mangione was felled in the box. #BKFC
Boise debuting and immediately having Moon and Bodily locked in as sideline-trapping pressers and final ball maestros around the box bodes really, really well for the rest of their 2026. Such a composed performance from them in Week 1.
daylight savings should be illegal
The Lyam Mackinnon comeback is on, pure finish from the former Greenville star here.
He should be a 10-goal player if he stays fitโฆ
The first goal in Athletic Club Boise history goes to Denys Kostyshyn as he puts the visitors ahead in Sarasota.
Been an entertaining game after the 90-minute lightning delay at the Premier Sports Complex, where plenty of the crowd waited things out.
#USL-1
Noticeably more patient attacking approach for Tulsa tonight, but the press is as sharp as ever. Really muscular through the midfield, and they're using the ball-side wingbacks to limit Sacramento's options.
See here, where that formula leads to a Jamie Webber shot.
Terrific work from 16-year-old Kenneth Hoban at right back to push El Paso upfield and set up their game-tying goal. Bright work from the youngster, who's looking like he'll be a rotation option all year long.
The touch pass from Parano and first-time goal from Hernandez...wow. San Antonio is fun again?
Augi Williams opens his Hartford account on the end of some very direct attacking that's reminiscent of this team at their 2025 best.
Get ready for a season of "go long out of a 2-3-2-3, then let your No. 8s and wingers go to work" from Sporting Jax
(complimentary!)
...and a more controlled version here, where Becher lays off into Taig Healy in the pocket. Bright stuff.
Immediately impressed with Fort Wayne's ability to use Ryan Becher as an anchor between the lines - they're really targeting the space behind Naples' 4-1-4-1ish press off of his presence.
You see it here with a longer serve that produces a knockdown...
Todayโs the big day, so get ready for all things USL with my comprehensive previews for the Championship and League One.
Ahead of the season's first full day of USL action, dive into @usltactics.com's team-by-team previews.
Youโll get analysis, depth charts, and predictions all in one place ๐ฎ
Championship โก๏ธ www.backheeled.com/usl-champion...
League One โก๏ธ www.backheeled.com/usl-league-o...
