The 2026 USL League One season is here, so what should you expect from each club?
I’m digging into the major additions, tactical tendencies, and season-long outlook for all 17 clubs for Backheeled’s mega season preview.
To skip straight to your team, you can use the table of contents (desktop) or the clickable team names down below (mobile). Onwards.
AV Alta | Athletic Club Boise | Charlotte Independence | Chattanooga Red Wolves | Corpus Christi | Fort Wayne | Forward Madison | Greenville Triumph | One Knoxville | New York Cosmos | FC Naples | Portland Hearts of Pine | Richmond Kickers | Sarasota Paradise | Spokane Velocity | Union Omaha | Westchester SC
Where we left off
2025 season: 36 points, 9th place
As late as August, Antelope Valley sat in a top-four position in the League One table. By then, however, the hyper-possessive system that Brian Kleiban so successfully implemented had begun to stall out. Alta finished the year with one win in their last 16 league games, netting out with a dismal -18 expected goal difference.
Kleiban’s system was terrific at tilting the pitch and facilitating long stretches of possession in the attacking zone, and this program has consistently tried to spotlight up-and-coming California talent. Still, no team generated lower-quality chances (see an xG per shot of 0.09) or bled more against the break in 2025. The genuinely impressive attacking patterns led a number of Alta’s star players to earn Championship promotions this winter, but that’ll only heighten the challenge in 2026.
Time will tell whether Kleiban doubles down or moderates his approach – and whether that’s enough to get into the playoffs.
What changed in the offseason
Notable arrivals:
- Collin Anderson, FW: Anderson brings experience with the Jamaican national team to Antelope Valley’s front line, though he’s only scored eight goals in his last three seasons across Macedonia, Iraq, and Oman. He’s still got the bones of a crafty right-footed finisher at age 26, one who can help sharpen Alta in the final third.
- Godwin Antwi, W: Comfortable on either wing, Antwi put up 0.28 xG per 90 in his final season with the University of San Diego and ranked in the 90th percentile for progressive carries. Not necessarily much of a creator, Antwi will give Alta added sharpness in the wide spaces to pay off the intricate work through the midfield.
- Nick Relerford, RB: A standout at Cal State Fullerton, Relerford ranked in the 80th percentile for progressive carries in his senior year but was equally comfortable as a set-up passer in build. The fullback’s mix of one-on-one dynamism with safe technique feels like a natural fit in the Kleiban system.
Notable departures:
- Eduardo Blancas, AM: Blancas was Alta’s lifeblood last season, combining effectiveness around the box (see 11 goals) with extreme poise in tight spaces through the midfield. With 11.6 final-third passes per 90, Blancas did extremely well to unlock opposing defenses all across 2025. Monterey Bay FC was the star creator’s landing spot.
- Sebastian Cruz, RB/RW: Cruz was a Next Pro standout who kept up the level as a winger and fullback in League One. With six total assists and 3.7 defensive actions per 90, he brought a real sense of two-way verve to Alta’s right. Cruz ended up in Tampa Bay over the winter.
- Alexis Cerritos, FW: A League One journeyman, Cerritos was in and out of the Alta lineup throughout 2025 but finished the season on a heater and ended up as the club’s second-leading scorer. At best, Cerritos has a mobile, roving aspect to his game that provides a real challenge to opposing marking around the box. He’ll star for Corpus Christi in 2026.
How they’ll look in 2026
AV Alta is at a fork in the road. Do they double down on last season’s system, or do they try to moderate? This club led League One with a whopping 60% possession average last season, yet their rate of 20 box touches per match was below average. There’s more je ne sais quoi up front entering 2026, but it’s not clear if it'll make Antelope Valley look any different.
