If Chicharito – announced as Atletico Dallas’ first player for the 2027 season – ends up scoring zero goals in the USL Championship, he still might be the biggest signing in league history. Dallas isn’t operating like a typical expansion team; they’re trying to operate at a first-tier, “USL Premier” level, and the addition of Javier Hernandez is the clearest sign of that ambition we’ve yet seen.
This club hired an experienced manager, Peter Luccin, more than a year ahead of their expansion campaign. They’ve poured resources into the Dallas youth scene and secured their place at the Cotton Bowl – a historic venue that lends legitimacy to Atletico’s project. Last month, the club took over the USL Super League’s Dallas Trinity and, in all likelihood, saved the women’s division from financial disaster. Atletico Dallas believes in the future of the USL, and signing Hernandez is the clearest sign yet that they want to be a major player.
In a historical sense, Phoenix Rising’s addition of Didier Drogba is the only other signing that clearly exceeds Chicharito in import. The Mexican international superstar will be 39 years old and without any match minutes for a year-and-a-half by the time he suits up, whereas Drogba was fresh off multiple successful seasons in MLS. Indeed, the Drogba signing was the USL’s micro version of David Beckham moving to the LA Galaxy – the kind of move that compels clubs to start taking themselves more seriously. If Dallas’ plans truly take, then Chicharito will be the player that launches the USL on a successful trajectory into the era of pro-rel and first-tier soccer.
For now, though, we can only dream about that future. Back on planet earth, Week 22 of the USL Championship season continued to surprise and confound. Who’s up and who’s down? Let’s dig in.
1. Orange County SC
Trending: No change
Result: 2-0 win v. El Paso
Since he joined Orange County in 2023, Ryan Doghman has been one of the most important players at this club. At his best, the left back has provided no-nonsense quality in block and a real ability to stretch the sideline beside an inverted winger. With Doghman back in the lineup for the first time since mid-June, the extent to which OCSC has grown without the star defender has become all the clearer.
