Players with local ties to watch as USL Championship kicks off this weekend

It’s been five years since there was a local team in the USL Championship and nearly 7 years since there were two USL Championship teams in the eastern part of the commonwealth but the second division league continues to be a place where plenty of local talent is getting a chance to shine. Here’s a look at some players to watch as the season kicks off this weekend.

Josh Jones, Defender, Louisville City FC
Jones didn’t have far to go to start his professional career after a successful college career at the University of Louisville but he’s also continued to be a local player of prominence starring for Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals in NPSL and Ocean City Nor’easters in USL League Two over summer breaks. After returning to campus following the MLS SuperDraft, Jones signed on with Louisville City where he will look to crack former Union midfielder Danny Cruz’s starting lineup. Real Salt Lake still has his MLS rights so a standout rookie season could open the door to a move up the ranks for the Hatfield native who won a PIAA state title at North Penn.

Jones joins a Louisville City team that includes defender Aiden McFadden, a West Chester, Pa. native and former Atlanta United player. McFadden has 4 goals and 6 assists in 32 appearances all competitions for Louisville as an attacking-minded wing back.

Louisville City visits Charleston Batter to open the season.

MD Myers, Forward, Charleston Battery
Myers made the jump from MLS Next Pro to USL Championship last season and barely missed a beat. The Delran, N.J. native had 17 goals and 3 assists for the Battery in his first season with the club but will be counted on to do more of the heavy lifting of the offense this season with record-breaking goal scorer Nick Markanich off to La Liga 2 in Spain.

Anthony Fontana, Midfielder, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
Fontana is something of a legend still here in Philadelphia despite his attempts to make it in Europe fizzling out and he returns to a perfect place to restart his career with Matt Real and company on the title holders. Real made his move permanent after a successful lone stint and Fontana comes in with something to prove after struggling to find his footing in Italy and the Netherlands. Fontana has of course played in the USL Championship before with Bethlehem Steel but most of his goal-scoring came in MLS and he’ll look to regain that form with another former teammate, head coach James Chambers.

The Switchbacks – which include veteran fellow Steel FC alums Zach Zandi and Matt Mahoney and Penn grad Duke Lacroix – visit El Paso Locomotive to open their campaign.

Jahmali Waite, Goalkeeper, El Paso Locomotive
Waite, a Philadelphia Union Academy grad and Reading United and Ocean City Nor’easters alum, has carved out a nice career for himself in USL Championship while also earning caps as an understudy to Andre Blake on the Jamaican national team. He’s back for his second year in El Paso but won’t have Brandan Craig in front of him again as the Philadelphia native and former Union homegrown signed with CF Montreal.

Cory Burke, Forward, Lexington SC
Another Jamaican international with ties to the Union has joined Lexington SC for their move up from League One and if his past in the league is any indication, get ready for a return of Scory Burke. Burke is joined in Lexington by fellow Union alum Marcus Epps and Allentown native Daniel Barbir and they’ll be hosting another team with no shortage of Union ties in Hartford Athletic with Union alum Michee Ngalina and Philly native Joe Farrell playing for former Steel FC head coach Brendan Burke.

Kalil ElMedkhar, Forward, FC Tulsa
The Delaware native joins former Union II duo Stefan Stojanovic and Boubacar Diallo in Oklahoma this season after two season with Loudoun United where he scored 15 goals in 50 appearances. They’ll visit a Phoenix Rising team looking to rebound after a down season in 2024.

Lyam Mackinnon, Forward, Orange County SC
The former Villanova, Reading United and West Chester United striker had an incredible season in USL League One last year with the accolades to go with it and now makes the jump to Orange County looking to continue that form. He’ll be expected to carry plenty of the goal-scoring load but a player with fewer expectations will also be one to watch in former Union Academy left back Pedro Guimaraes, a 16-year-old prospect who is on a pro contract for the team and is in the USYNT pool for his age group. Orange County hosts Oakland Roots to open the season.

Leo Fernandes, Midfielder, Tampa Bay Rowdies
Fernandes is 33 now so the expectations aren’t as high as they once were but the former Philadelphia Union player will still be fun to watch in his 9th season in Tampa Bay. He returned last year after missing most of the previous season with an injury, making 24 appearances and contributing 3 goals and 4 assists. The Rowdies make the long trek to Las Vegas to start the season.

Dawson McCartney, Midfielder, Birmingham Legion FC
The Philadelphia Union Academy grad from Voorhees, N.J. enjoyed a successful return to the USL Championship last season with Birmingham on a squad that also includes Bethlehem Steel FC alum AJ Paterson. McCartney had 3 goals and 6 assists in 25 appearances for the Legion, which hosts Loudoun United, a squad that includes former Steel players Drew Skundrich and Cole Turner.

Joey DeZart, Midfielder, Miami FC
The Philadelphia Union Academy grad and former MLS midfielder joined Miami FC toward the end of last season so he’ll be beginning his first full season with his new team in Miami, which hosts Detroit City FC to open the season.

Ben Ofeimu, Defender, Indy Eleven
Indy Eleven has a bye to start the season so the former Bethlehem Steel FC center back from Michigan will have another week to prep for his second seeason in Indianapolis. Still just 24, Ofeimu made 30 appearances for Indy last season and will look to build on that in his seventh season in the USL Championship since turning pro in 2019.