Offseason Notebook: Steinwascher's retirement, League One first signings, Las Vegas
On a star goalkeeper's USL legacy, a sleeper star for the Lights, and League One news
Welcome back to the Offseason Notebook! Before we dig in, make sure to check out Backheeled. This week, I picked one big offseason need or goal for every Championship club.
Without further ado, let’s get to it.
Nate Steinwascher’s legacy and Detroit’s net
As a neutral observer of the entire USL, I can lack a devoted fan’s perspective and passion. There are certain moments where my hometown Indy Eleven bring me to an emotional high - during the 2024 Open Cup run, for instance - but I try to maintain a distance given the beat I’ve chosen to cover.
That’s a long way of saying that I can’t do justice to the relationship between Nate Steinwascher and Detroit City. That said, there’s rarely been a player that so completely represents the culture of his club in the USL. The love is obvious through the ESPN+ video frame every time Le Rouge take the pitch.
This league is about community, about giving the professional game a local, human face. Le Rouge and the Northern Guard Supporters, as unapologetic as they can seem, embody that principle, and Steinwascher has been a major part of the club-player-supporter triumvirate.
Steinwascher, a native of the Detroit suburbs and former Detroit Mercy man, always strove to go above and beyond. He understood that professional athletes are role models. Says the goalkeeper:
Detroit City’s history, from the club’s first days as a homespun NPSL side onward, has been a tale of measured growth. Ascending from the amateur ranks, moving to Keyworth, and joining the USL were major moments for the organization, but DCFC never lost sight of that community connection all the while. The contributions of players like Nate Steinwascher - so keenly aware of what a soccer team can mean to a city - shouldn’t be forgotten as Detroit moves forward toward a soccer-specific stadium of their own and continues to expand their youth reach.
In total, Nate Steinwascher made more than 100 appearances for Le Rouge across multiple leagues. He famously moonlighted as the club accountant, and he wasn’t afraid to step up for a penalty kick when the moment arose. When you think “Detroit City,” Steinwascher is practically the first person that comes to mind.
The goalkeeper’s retirement after three USL seasons is a perfect time to reflect on his legacy. In 2022 and 2023, especially, there simply wasn’t a better shot-stopper in the Championship.
During Steinwascher’s time in the USL, only Jordan Farr played more minutes. Danny Vitiello, Matt Van Oekel, and Paul Blanchette were the only goalkeepers to make more saves. On a consistency and volume basis alone, the Detroit man was nearly unmatched.
The advanced numbers make the Steinwascher run all the more impressive. By goals prevented - a measure of goals allowed against expected goals allowed - he’s been the second-best shot-stopper in the USL during the last three seasons. Detroit’s defense has been strong since their entrance into the league, but Steinwascher has still elevated the team to the “elite” tier.
The numbers bear out the strength of Steinwascher’s 2022 and 2023 seasons but don’t tell the whole story. Even when he wasn’t lighting up the stat sheet, the goalkeeper’s communication skills were massive.
Detroit’s upset over Players’ Shield-winning Pittsburgh in the 2023 playoffs comes to mind immediately relative to Steinwascher’s organizing skills. The goalkeeper made just one save in that match, but he held DCFC together as the Riverhounds held nearly 60% of possession and outshot Detroit three times over.
Even 2024, a relative down year, saw the 31-year-old post above-average metrics across 22 league appearances. Though Carlos Saldaña emerged as an alternative to Steinwascher during the season, the veteran goalkeeper never groused or complained.
For a player like Steinwascher to gracefully accept a platoon rotation, keep his head up, and continue to perform when called upon is the sort of leadership that shouldn’t be overlooked. A lesser player - or lesser man - wouldn’t have shown that same grace. It’s why Steinwascher has become an institution in Michigan.
Saldaña figures to be the primary starter next year, and recently added Carlos Herrera (-0.7 goals prevented in limited minutes in 2024 with Monterey) will back him up. Together, they’ve got massive gloves to fill.
Nate Steinwascher is Detroit, and he’s defined the identity and culture of Le Rouge in their USL era. When you tell the story of Detroit City, of a fan-driven organization doing something meaningful and different in a highly corporate American soccer landscape, you won’t be able to ignore the contributions of Nate Steinwascher.
Giovanni Aguilar, Las Vegas’ secret weapon?
To say that the Las Vegas Lights overperformed expectations in 2024 is like saying Juan Soto just got a big contract from the Mets. You’re right, but you’re underselling the magnitude by a whole, whole lot.
The Lights’ opening day lineup last season is a fascinating time capsule in hindsight; seven of the starters in a 2-1 loss to Memphis would fall out of the rotation, get hurt, or get cut entirely. Of that “what could’ve been” septet, it’s Giovanni Aguilar that stands out as a possible secret weapon heading into 2025.
Las Vegas has returned the lion’s share of their playoff lineup , including star attacker Valentin Noel. There’s a chance right back Shawn Smart heads to Europe, but 10 of 11 starters for this team are back in action for now.
JC Ngando, the all-league center mid loaned in from Vancouver last year, is the glaring omission. Just re-signed on a multi-year deal by the Whitecaps largely due to his standout USL stint, Ngando was arguably Las Vegas’ most important piece in 2024. The midfielder could set the tempo from the pivot in build; see an 88th percentile passing volume. His dribbling (71 successful take-ons, most in the USL) and creation (five assists, 96th percentile xA) stirred the drink as the Lights advanced into the final third. Whatever Dennis Sanchez needed, Ngando provided.
Losing Ngando isn’t a season-ender by any stretch of the imagination. Noel showed an ability to fill the box-to-box No. 8 role early last season, and dropping him low could clear space for the much-ballyhooed Edison Azcona. Players like Charlie Adams in the pivot and a narrow-tucking Gennaro Nigro at left back are terrific possessive pieces.
Still, Aguilar started in that opening match for a reason. Ngando he isn’t, but the 26-year-old has a role to play.
In the one-game USL sample we got from Aguilar against Memphis 901, the midfielder competed 42 passes and succeeded on all three of his dribbling attempts across more than 70 touches. Aguilar also went 10 for 13 on duels, an important mark given his deep-lying deployment.
It’s that positioning that makes Aguilar an interesting fit. Charlie Adams became the tempo-setting, offense-minded No. 6 for Las Vegas late in the year, but he was predated in that role by the 26-year-old ex-Whitecap - who blossomed under Dennis Sanchez in the Sacramento youth system in the mid 2010s, of course.
You see that creative profile in action above. Aguilar looms near the center circle, glomming onto a loose ball when called upon. Under fire against an aggressive Memphis team, he’s able to turn onto his right foot, keep his head up, and pick out a drifting Khori Bennett to push Las Vegas in the final third.
Argue with the weight of the pass, but that’s a heady play no matter how you slice it. The sequence is indicative of Aguilar’s ability to do more than just circulate possession.
Can Aguilar take on a more attack-first role in that Ngando vein? The answer remains to be seen. In his two MLS NEXT Pro campaigns, Aguilar created 36 chances on 4.1 expected assists across about 4,000 minutes. Those are solid numbers, but they aren’t quite all-USL elite.
The play above captures the good and the bad. Aguilar starts nicely with a well-weighted touch into space, and he makes a smart (but safe) pass toward a potential crosser from there. Receiving anew, Aguilar is overeager and passes wide again, this time to an offside teammate.
You’d love to see a box-entry ball at some point, or maybe even a first-time cross. Aguilar is getting into good positions, but he isn’t wholly comfortable where it counts.
Pending other additions, a return to the double-barrel 4-3-3 featuring dual No. 8/No. 10 types in the midfield might be wise. We saw Las Vegas shift into the shape in the second halves of matches a fair bit with Ngando and Noel as the advances cetner mids; complementing Aguilar with a deeper Noel may bring the best out of both.
Still, it’ll be fascinating to see how exactly Las Vegas defends their newfound status as a Western heavyweight, whether Aguilar is a key piece or not.
League One quick hits
We’re getting five new teams in USL League One next season, and one of the major landmark moments for any expansion team is the announcement of a first-ever signing. Three of the five newbies have announced Player #1 so far, and the signings say a lot about the approach each club - Westchester SC, FC Naples, and AV Alta - means to take in 2025.
Westchester’s addition of Kemar Lawrence is, in all honesty, a stunner. The former Jamaican international was sold to Anderlecht for a fee in excess of $1 million within the last five years, and he was an MLS regular for much of the last decade. Though he’s heading into his age 33 campaign, Lawrence’s game isn’t overly dependent on athleticism. This is a statement.
You’ve got Lawrence’s numbers from 2023 with Minnesota United above, a season where he started in 13 of his 14 appearances. The defensive stats stand out, and it’s safe to assume that Lawrence will immediately become one of the best stoppers in League One from the moment he debuts for Westchester. Though the 32-year-old only contributed to 0.11 goals per 90 minutes across his MLS career, he’s a solid passer and will likely excel against third-division competition.
Dave Carton is set to lead Westchester’s debut campaign after more than 15 years with the Charlotte Independence across academy and coaching roles. From what I’ve gathered, he’s going to have ample resources to build a winner. Lawrence sets that tone from the jump - and he’s also got semi-local bona fides thanks to his long tenure with the New York Red Bulls.
FC Naples, by contrast, stayed within the League One ranks and targeted an up-and-comer. 23-year-old winger Jayden Onen earned the nod after stops in Madison and Lexington. Something of a journeyman across English “B” teams - he played for Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Brighton, Brentford, Reading, and Sheffield Wednesday at the youth level - Onen has vast potential to become a regular difference-maker.
Onen won the ball back in the final third about 0.8 times per match across competitions to rank in the top quintile in League One last season. He led all attacking players in interceptions per 90 with Madison in 2023. It’s the combination of attacking skill and relentless defensive effort that makes Onen unique, and you see that above as he dispossesses a defender and dishes up an assist.
Matt Poland, Naples’ coach and sporting director hired off of Chicago House, will be charged with getting the most from Onen. Poland led Chicago to the Open Cup multiple times, and he also coached the NPSL’s Naples United FC1 once upon a time.
If the first signing is any indication, Poland’s Naples will try to play quickly and pressurefully. They’re giving themselves a defensive base to do just that, with hard-to-find-numbers-on full back Kevin O’Connor and League One veteran Jake Dengler joining up. With three straight seasons of 80th percentile or better defensive action totals and tackle win rates, Dengler is a beautiful anchor for the nascent Naples defense.
Alta landed somewhere in-between the two extremes, choosing a well-known, former USMNT player with ample League One experience to his name. That player, Miguel Ibarra, also happens to be a native of Lancaster, California - where AV Alta is located.
I broke down Ibarra’s virtuosic passing elsewhere already, but you really can’t undersell the upside of Ibarra. If he’s fit and available as he turns 35 next year, it’ll be a boon for Alta.
Ibarra has evolve his game as the years have gone on, and he leaned into a deep-lying creative role with Charlotte in 2023. His contributions helped the Independence reach a title game, and that newfound deployment is the sort of role that can extend the career of a player with Ibarra’s skillset.
Brian Kleiban will lead Alta from the sideline. He has ample local experience as a former youth coach in the Chivas USA, LA Galaxy, LAFC academy systems. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Alta lean into youth ties, targeting players that Kleiban helped to develop. In that sense, Ibarra could become the veteran leader that sets the table for others.
Across the board, the contrast in styles is fun to see. There isn’t a defined, set-in-stone way to win in League One, and the varying approaches of Westchester, Naples, and Alta will be a fascinating case study in 2025.
Final Thoughts
In other news this week…
Go check out my USL Championship expansion update for the latest on all 12 potential new markets!
Carlos Llamosa feels like a nice managerial get for San Antonio. You can’t divine much about style from someone’s assistant coaching tenure, but I trust the Giovanni Savarese coaching tree.
I’ll have more on the Jagermeister Cup expansion soon, but it’s a fascinating move in a lot of ways. Limiting myself to a single point, I’m fascinated by the four-match group format. Last season’s League One-only iteration gave itself so much more room to breath, and I would’ve loved to have seen that same scope continue in 2025. One wonders if the USL considers these matches less of a draw? And it’s fun to consider which teams and owners might’ve dragged their feet.
That’s all, folks. See you soon!
Cover Photo Credit: Daniel Mears & Jose Juarez, The Detroit News / Nate Steinwascher, Instagram
Founded by Enoch Showunmi, who I absolutely have to assume is related to ex-Pittsburgh and Louisville striker Tola Showunmi?