Ryan Allen
@ilm-ryan.bsky.social
ECU Alum, Co-host for @theUSLShow.bsky.social
NEWSLETTER: I opened up the mailbox to your questions, and y'all delivered. I think this is the longest edition of the newsletter I've ever written. Thanks to everyone that chimed in! www.usltactics.com/the-back-fou...
The Back Four: Summer Mailbag
In which you guys asked more questions than I expected
usltactics.com
Portland Hearts of Pine Announce Plans To Build Soccer-Specific Stadium At Cassidy Point www.theblazingmusket.com/portland-hea...
Portland Hearts of Pine Announce Plans To Build Soccer-Specific Stadium At Cassidy Point
Construction is slated to begin in 2027 with the goal of opening the stadium in 2029.
theblazingmusket.com
Chicharito plays for Atletico Dallas. It's an enormous move for the 2027 expansion club, and I explain why. That, plus 8,000+ words on every single thing that mattered across Week 22 in the USL – including an instant classic in Tampa Bay. www.backheeled.com/usl-champion...
USL Championship Power Rankings: Chicharito’s signing, Louisville City's collapse & more
After 22 weeks of USL Championship action, we're ranking every team in the league.
backheeled.com
NEWSLETTER: What caught my eye across the USL last week? I'm catching up on some tactical tics, assessing the GKOTY races, and talking Super League offseason. www.usltactics.com/the-back-fou...
The Back Four: Monitoring the situation
Bendy shapes, second ball structure, and other Week 21 USL notes
usltactics.com
BREAKING: The USL and USLPA have reached a tentative agreement for the first CBA in Super League history, giving their women's players standardized rights like minimum salaries ($37.2K w/risers), player consent to transfers, insurance, housing. More on ESPN:
USL Super League, union agree to CBA key terms
The USL Super League and the USL Players Association announced on Thursday a tentative agreement over key terms of its first collective bargaining agreement.
espn.com
NEWSLETTER: Boise stands apart from the usual Nate Miller formula, and I explain how. That, plus Miami's improvements and a Sporting Jax friendly romp. www.usltactics.com/the-back-fou...
The Back Four: Boise, Miami, and more
On wingback excellence, rest defense, and a Super League friendly
usltactics.com
DC United legend Bill Hamid has unretired as a player and joined the active roster with Corpus Christi FC 👀
Cristo Fernandez has played 17 minutes of pro soccer, and you could count his touches on one hand. Still, we’ve already learned a lot about his ability to hang at the USL level. I dig into the tape to see what Fernandez can bring for El Paso. www.backheeled.com/analyzing-te...
Can Dani Rojas really play? Analyzing every moment of ‘Ted Lasso’ star Cristo Fernández’s pro soccer debut
Can the actor-turned-USL player hang in the professional ranks? We have just the overly detailed scouting report to answer that question.
backheeled.com
Apparently this makes SportsCenter. And not only does it make SportsCenter, but they felt it was worthwhile to tease on the ticker that it is upcoming on SportsCenter – and I agree.
John Morrissey@usltactics.com · 3w agoIncredible scenes in Knoxville, where we've got a red card foul for Fort Wayne literally three seconds into the match
NEWSLETTER: What caught my eye in the final weekend of USL Cup play? I dig into some standouts, then I assess the up-and-down Sacramento Republic. www.usltactics.com/the-back-fou...
The Back Four: Prinx Potpourri, plus beguiling Sacramento
Catching up on all things USL amidst the dog days of summer
usltactics.com
The Prinx Tires #USLCup is down to its eight Quarterfinalists after the conclusion of the group stage. Which tier does each team sit in as it looks ahead to the draw, which will air at 1 p.m. ET today on the #USL YouTube Channel. www.uslchampionship.com/news_article...
Which Tier Does Each Team Sit in Ahead of the Prinx Tires USL Cup Knockout Stage?
Eight teams remain in with a chance of claiming the first silverware of the campaign, where do they rank after the group stage?
uslchampionship.com
NEWSLETTER: I'm sifting through USL Championship passing length data to muse on team styles. That, plus the parallels between red-hot Knoxville and Fort Wayne in League One. www.usltactics.com/the-back-fou...
The Back Four: Passing patterns, plus the Knoxville-Fort Wayne ascendancy
On build trends in the Championship and League One’s hottest clubs
usltactics.com
How many people had Fort Wayne FC being this good, this quickly? A first-year pro roster full of unknowns is now one of the hardest teams in USL League One to beat. Avery’s blueprint. Rookie breakouts. Veteran leadership. How did it happen? ⬇️
How Fort Wayne Became the Expansion Team Nobody Wants to Play
Most expansion clubs are built on uncertainty. Fort Wayne FC was built on familiarity. While other first-year teams spend months trying to discover an identity, Fort Wayne entered USL League One with...
leagueoneupdater.com
🚂 Locomotive back on track 😈 Louisville, finding their rhythm 🐎 Lexington’s big leap All that and so much more as I power rank all 25 clubs in the USL Championship. www.backheeled.com/usl-champion...
USL Championship Power Rankings: Lexington SC soar, Tampa Bay Rowdies dethroned & more
After 18 weeks of USL Championship action, we're ranking every team in the league.
backheeled.com
Attendance is down across the USL this season, but how have some clubs managed to buck the trend? I spoke to the Charleston Battery and to Louisville City to see how they approach the problem of attendance and marketing. www.backheeled.com/usl-attendan...
USL attendance is falling. Here’s what successful clubs are doing to reverse that trend
While league-wide attendance drops, select clubs are paving a different path.
backheeled.com
The pathway between USL League One and the USL Championship is stronger than ever, with transfer activity on the rise. Which League One standouts should Championship clubs be targeting? @usltactics.com examines nine stars who might be ready for the jump ⤵️
USL Championship scouts should be watching these nine USL League One stars
These are the lower-division stars who might be ready for a jump to the Championship.
backheeled.com
Halfway through the season, how are USL1's expansion clubs doing? 📈 Boise is breaking attendance records 🏟️ Fort Wayne's stadium is taking shape 📉 The Cosmos are searching for answers 🤔 Corpus Christi and Sarasota face challenges I took a look at all five clubs, both on and off the field 👇
The Expansion Class of 2026: How It's Going So Far
USL League One welcomed a record five expansion clubs in 2026. Now that we're halfway through the season, how are each of them doing? There's been a wide spread of results, attendance and engagement so far. We go over each club's roster build, performance at mid-season,
leagueoneupdater.com
... and one number that's defined every club in the #USL-C Western Conference, where Orange County SC and @oaklandroots.bsky.social are taking very different paths to success. Hope you'll take a moment to check them out. www.uslchampionship.com/news_article...
One Number that’s Defined Every Club in the USL Championship Western Conference’s 2026 Season So Far
As we reach the midseason break this weekend, here’s where your club has shone or needs to improve over the first half of the campaign
uslchampionship.com
The #USL-C is on its midseason break this weekend, which means it's a chance to reflect. I've got a number that's defined the campaign so far for every club in the Eastern Conference, where the @tampabayrowdies.bsky.social are flying high... www.uslchampionship.com/news_article...
One Number that’s Defined Every Club in the USL Championship Eastern Conference’s 2026 Season So Far
As we reach the midseason break this weekend, here’s where your club has shone or needs to improve over the first half of the campaign
uslchampionship.com
