Early retirements are a part of life in the USL, for better or worse. Over the offseason, relatively healthy starters from across the Championship and League One – think Oakland’s Camden Riley, Naples’ Chris Heckenberg, and Knoxville’s Callum Johnson – opted to hang up their boots. It’s easy to imagine life as a professional athlete as being glamorous, but there’s a reason fit players under the age of 30 are hanging it up.
When FC Naples stalwart Max Glasser announced his own retirement on Friday, it only furthered that trend.
There’s been a heavy focus on the conditions of USL players in the wake of the Championship’s collective bargaining negotiations, and any issues faced down in the second division are that much starker in the third tier. As per League One’s CBA, a player earning the minimum base compensation number would take home just $23,500 for the year – and that’s before housing and healthcare are carved out. When League One’s CBA expires next winter, expect to see the USLPA fight for reforms that might disincentivize players from quitting the game and seeking a more traditional, steadier form of employment.
That’s a fight for the future; in the meantime, the League One matchweek was full of big results and meaningful tactical swings. What stood out amidst it all? Let’s dig in.
Red-hot Fort Wayne FC
James Musa and Ryan Becher were supposed to be Fort Wayne’s backbone, providing USL-proven excellence at the front and back of Mike Avery’s lineup. Instead, injury issues have sidelined both players for more than a month. If you thought that would imperil the expansion side’s playoff hopes, think again; Fort Wayne looks stronger than ever coming out of Week 10 and is riding a four-match league unbeaten streak.
