With a handful of USL League One’s best moving up to USL Championship and the introduction of new teams, roster spots have opened up for new players and new talent. Here is a new name from each team you should be keeping an eye on this season.  

Chattanooga Red Wolves SC – Travis Nicklaw

At 26, the 6-3 standout defender already has an impressive resume, with credentials playing in New Zealand and Iceland. Nicklaw, who was brought in for his leadership skills, will bear the responsibly of organizing a backline that may have a new player in every single spot. The defender also has a history of scoring goals, including on the international stage -- Nicklaw scored for Guam’s National team in a World Cup Qualifier against India in 2015. His nose for goal should come in handy considering 32 of Chattanooga’s 35 goals last season came within the penalty box. 

Fort Lauderdale CF – Eduardo Sosa

Eduardo Sosa will play a vital role in Fort Lauderdale CF’s first season success. The creative No. 10 was a full-time starter and key player for Zamora F.C. in Venezuela during two league title runs before making 18 appearances for Columbus Crew SC across the 2018 and 2019 MLS seasons. After finding it difficult to win his spot back following an injury with Columbus, Sosa will now bring his impressive vision and dribbling to Jason Kreis’ squad. Kreis, current head coach of the U.S. U-23 National Team, will help Sosa become the anchor of Fort Lauderdale’s offense.

Forward Madison FC - Wojciech Wojcik

A season ago, Forward Madison FC conceded the second-fewest goals in the league, but only scored the sixth most. With injuries to Danny Tenorio, Minnesota United’s Mason Toye being called back up to MLS, and no consistent starter up top, Madison struggled to find the back of the net in 2019. Moving into the 2020 season, Forward may finally have found their target man in the 6-4 Polish striker Wojciech Wojcik. After scoring seven goals and tallying four assists last season for Hartford Athletic in USL Championship, Wojcik proved he’s able to score many types of ways including from long-range efforts. With Forward’s ability to create space, there’s an opportunity for Wojcik to compete for the golden boot. 

Greenville Triumph SC - Noah Pilato

Greenville relied on their league-best defense to help them secure a spot in the inaugural USL League One Final. However, it was their lack of offense and league-worst passing accuracy that resulted in them falling short. Now, focused on a new and improved attack, Head Coach John Harkes has brought in former Loudoun United midfielder, Noah Pilato.

North Texas SC - Juan Manuel Alvarez

After an impressive season ending with a championship celebration, North Texas SC was the prime picking for USL Championship and MLS teams. The reigning champions lost eight regular starters from its title-winning squad. Looking to help fill that void is Juan Manuel Álvarez who joins North Texas on loan from Mexican side Monterrey. The right back has been in the Monterrey system since 2015 and will be playing his first season outside of Mexico in 2020. The versatile player has been rumored to be turning heads while playing a more advanced role in the midfield during preseason. With the possibility of a constantly changing roster this year, I have a feeling Alvarez will solidify a permanent place in the lineup.

Union Omaha - Damià Viader

If you haven’t watched the NPSL, Damià Viader will be an unfamiliar name that may take you by surprise this year. One of the most versatile players in the league, Viader can defend, pass, score goals, and probably properly do your taxes. The former Duluth FC defender was one of the best players in NPSL and is off to a good start in Omaha, scoring the club’s first-ever goal against reigning USL Championship Title Winners Louisville City during preseason. With the ability to play anywhere on the field, look for announcers to constantly say Viader’s name, as he’ll be constantly involved in the action.

Orlando City B - Aleksandar Gluvačević

Returning only two players from the squad that finished in last place in League One in 2019, Orlando City B will focus on scoring more goals (where they ranked last in the league) and preventing more goals (where they also ranked last in the league). Hoping to kill two birds with one stone, OCB signed Aleksandar Gluvačević in the offseason. The 6-5 Serbian striker has proven his goal scoring ability, scoring 35 goals his senior year of high school. He can also assist with defending corners and set pieces, an area that OCB struggled tremendously in 2019, giving up more headers than any other team and had the worst aerial duel percentage in the league.

South Georgia Tormenta FC - Abuchi Obinwa

Tormenta FC started last season hotter than any team in the league, losing only one game in its first 12. However, after losing multiple players to injuries, including midfielder Lucas Coutinho, Tormenta quickly realized the importance of depth and won only one game of its last 12 to close out the season. This is where a player like Abuchi Obinwa can help pick up the pieces. With experience playing in Germany, Portugal and MLS, Obinwa covers a lot of ground and will be able to win duels in the middle of the field to help launch Tormenta counterattacks, which they flourished with last year.

FC Tucson - NIall logue

Last season, FC Tucson had a back line that changed week to week and the club never really found their four staples to hold things down in front of Carlos Merancio. With team captain Kyle Venter joining the Richmond Kickers, Niall Logue has an opportunity to step in and become the leader of a team with a lot of new players. Logue brings in Europa League (yes that Europa League) experience and was a consistent starter in the League of Ireland Premier Division prior to joining FCT. There’s potential for Logue to team up with USL League Two standout Charlie Booth, who led the Flint City Bucks to a championship in 2019, in the back for Tucson. Logue and Booth make up a defensive partnership that knows how to win -- keep an eye on them in 2020.