You might argue that the USL Championship table didn’t flip on its head in Week 25, but the combination of on-field results and off-field transfer movement made this a monumental matchweek. Clubs like Lexington added genuine MLS talent (Latif Blessing, in after a year in Houston) in the market and flew up the table; Hartford sold their talisman (Mamadou Dieng, off to Minnesota) but still continued to rise. Elsewhere, clubs like New Mexico and Monterey tried to end their dry spells with key additions from MLS Next Pro.
Now that the dust has settled, which new players do you need to know, and what other decisions defined a jam-packed weekend across the USL? Let’s dig in.
1. Louisville City
Trending: No change
Result: 0-0 draw v. New Mexico
In their statement-making rout against Charleston a few weeks back, Louisville let Kevon Lambert and Taylor Davila take on a high-low dynamic in central midfield that shut down the high-possession Battery. You would’ve expected that same strategy to play against a similarly possessive New Mexico team running a similar shape, but that wasn’t necessarily the case.
In the opening quarter-hour, LouCity struggled to execute on their familiar midfield approach against New Mexico’s extreme commitment to build within their own 18-yard box. The guests tended to interchange their 4-2-3-1 quite freely, namely by tucking their left winger inside and dropping their No. 10 as a possessive outlet. That movement often left Davila isolated, allowing for quick line breaks that put Danny Cruz’s back three on the back foot.
Louisville didn’t give up their pressing identity. Instead, they allowed defender Kyle Adams to push ahead like a partner for Davila in the traditional holding midfield zone. You’re seeing the construction above. Adams, the left-sided center back, has become an added No. 6, while wingback Jake Morris has tucked low to essentially re-create the 3-2-5’s base. Adams can maximize his physicality up the middle, while Morris provides the recovery speed to patch any holes that might arise.
