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USL League One Power Rankings - Preseason

By ETHAN TRIEBSCH - ethan.triebsch@uslsoccer.com, 03/06/25, 2:30PM EST

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2024 USL League One Final participants top rankings

League One's seventh season is here! Ahead of Week 1, we're breaking down where each team stands as we inch closer to the beginning of the 2025 campaign. 

Tell us why your club should rank higher and keep the conversation going on X (Twitter) at @USLLeagueOne.

Rank

 

Team

Summary
1 Union Omaha
(0-0-0)
Week 1: ---		 The Owls lost some serious talent over the offseason as All-League First Team midfielder Pedro Dolabella moved to North Carolina FC in the USL Championship and all-time leading scorer Steevan Dos Santos retired. That said, expect the two-time champs to overperform once more under back-to-back Coach of the Year Dominic Casciato.
2 Spokane Velocity FC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: ---		 While Spokane’s magical run to the USL League One Final in its debut campaign a season ago may have come as a shock to many, that won’t be the case this year. Velocity FC has constructed an impressive roster featuring a league-leading three 2024 All-League selections and should be viewed as a favorite to make a deep postseason run once again.
3 Forward Madison FC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: --- 		Along with Knoxville, Madison are the only side to retain multiple All-League First Team players from 2024 in Devin Boyce and Mitch Osmond. Replicating the offensive capabilities of all-time leading scorer Christian Chaney through Juan Galindrez and Garrett McLaughlin may pose an initial challenge, but the ‘Mingos return several players from its club-best 2024 campaign.
4 Westchester SC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: @ GVL 		Westchester has assembled the most eye-catching roster of the five expansion sides, and the New York-based club looks like it’s built to win now thanks to its blend of MLS and USL Championship veterans, experienced international talents and up-and-coming youngsters.
5 One Knoxville SC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: ---		 It appears that Knoxville will once again be one of the more difficult sides to score on, as the four-year-old club has retained Goalkeeper of the Year Sean Lewis and All-League First Team defender Jordan Skelton. A new coach and a new stadium should also give One Knox a positive boost in 2025.
6 Greenville Triumph SC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: vs WES		 The reigning Player of the Year, Lyam MacKinnon, is off to Orange County SC, and Greenville have called upon the goalscoring tandem of former Red Wolves Ropapa Mensah and Chevone Marsh. Triumph SC will also lean on the veteran presence of defenders Evan Lee, Tyler Polak and Brandon Fricke who - despite their age - still maintain a significant impact on the club.
7 AV ALTA FC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: ---		 AV ALTA FC will look to an intriguing collection of diverse international playmakers and proven California natives returning home to guide the club to success in its debut season. The newcomers will lean heavily on the leadership of former United States Men’s National team midfielder and Lancaster, Calif. native Miguel Ibarra in its first year.
8 Charlotte Independence
(0-0-0)
Week 1: ---		 Seeking his sixth consecutive postseason appearance with the Jacks, Mike Jeffries will have his work cut out for him this year following some massive offseason departures, namely Tresor Mbuyu, Joel Johnson, Gabriel Obertan, Juan Carlos Obregón, Jr., Miguel Ibarra and Austin Pack, among others. The good news is that Charlotte has reloaded with Jon Bakero and Rafael Jauregui and will return All-League talents Luis Álvarez and Nick Spielman.
9 South Georgia Tormenta FC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: v RIC		 It’s difficult to get a good read on South Georgia as the Ibises enter their 10th season. The offseason additions have certainly outweighed the departures, notably bringing in former League One Goalkeeper of the Year Austin Pack and reigning USL Championship Eastern Conference title-winner Gabriel Alves, but it’s uncertain how well the young roster will blend.
10 Richmond Kickers
(0-0-0)
Week 1: @ TRM		 The Roos kick off their 33rd season on Friday as Darren Sawatzky and Co. aim to build on a strong finish to the 2024 campaign. Losing All-League First Team midfielder Nil Vinyals to Spokane is a big blow, and the Kickers will need production from the likes of Emiliano Terzaghi, Darwin Espinal and Chandler O’Dwyer. I also expect one of Richmond’s young stars - looking at Griffin Garnett or James Sneddon - to have an All-League-worthy breakout season.
11 Portland Hearts of Pine
(0-0-0)
Week 1: ---		 I’m expecting Hearts of Pine to be the biggest success story off the pitch this season, on the pitch, though, I still have questions. The recent addition of midfielder Masashi Wada is huge for Hearts - he easily could become the most impactful player across all five expansion sides’ rosters - but we’ll need to wait and see who else can step up and perform in Portland.
12 Texoma FC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: ---		 Texoma have put together one of the most experienced rosters among the fellow 2025 expansion sides, but with that experience comes age, and I’m not sure how much some of these guys have left in the tank. If the Texas-based club can get a decent amount of production out of Solomon Asante and Jorge Corrales and complement that with support from its batch of largely unproven players, there could be a path to success.
13 FC Naples
(0-0-0)
Week 1: vs CHA		 The Florida-based newcomers feature a rather young, rather inexperienced roster. The former Hailstorm tandem of goalkeeper Lalo Delgado and defender Brecc Evans should complement another pair of experienced defensive veterans in Gustavo Fernandes and Jake Dengler well, but we’ll have to see how the rest of the squad develops.
14 Chattanooga Red Wolves SC
(0-0-0)
Week 1: @ NAP		 Boasting one of the youngest rosters in the league, the Red Wolves will likely have a hard time returning to the postseason for the first time since falling in the 2022 USL League One Final. Unfortunately, the offseason departures have far exceeded the arrivals.

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Tag(s): Spotlight  Union Omaha  Power Rankings  Chatt Red Wolves SC  Forward Madison FC  Greenville Triumph SC  Richmond Kickers  So. Georgia Tormenta FC  Charlotte Independence  One Knoxville SC  Spokane Velocity FC  Portland Hearts of Pine  AV ALTA FC  FC Naples  Texoma FC  Westchester SC 

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