The Back Four: Duggan & Mahoney, League One contraction, more
Takeaways from the USL Championship's Conference finals and a newsy week in USL League One
Welcome to The Back Four, where I’m analyzing four things that drew my eye from across the USL. Need a recap? See the link to my League One title game breakdown below. Need a recap of the Championship weekend? Hit up Backheeled!
Now, let’s get to it.
Morris Duggan and Matt Mahoney, Guys of the Round
As I wrote about for Backheeled, Rhode Island and Colorado Springs are united by aggressive defensive miens that prevent opponents from developing a rhythm. Center backs Morris Duggan, a loanee standout for RIFC, and Matt Mahoney, my pick for Defensive Player of the Year for the Switchbacks, set the tone for their sides.
On Rhode Island’s front, that aggression resulted in a shutdown showing at Patriots Point in which the Charleston Battery mustered just nine shot attempts - a repeat of an October draw where the Battery were also limited to nine takes. The Switchbacks were less stingy on paper, but they spent 60 minutes defending a lead against Las Vegas. Colorado Springs still only allowed the Lights to take 10 measly touches in the box.
From the jump, both central defenders shone in individual matchups against elite final-third creators. In the case of Duggan, that required him to address Juan David Torres before he could bear down between the lines of RIFC’s 5-3-2. Mahoney, meanwhile, often marked Valentin Noel to make sure he couldn’t slice through Colorado Springs’ 4-2-3-1 press.
You see those deployments here, starting with Duggan. Each example illustrates terrific individual decision-making and technique.
In the first clip, Charleston draws Rhode Island up the sideline, potentially isolating Duggan without cover from wide. All the while, the Minnesota United loanee hews closely to Torres, pairing with holding midfielder Marc Ybarra to pin the Battery man. Duggan intercepts, carries upfield, and the Battery are pushed back into their own area at the end of it all.
The second play sees Mahoney marking Noel as the Lights star probes near the sideline. Because of Colorado Springs’ scheme, right back Aidan Rocha is high and can’t cover that space; Mahoney is one-on-one. When the pass comes in, Mahoney boxes out the receiver, smartly turns out of pressure, and puts his team back into control.
These plays weren’t one-offs. The numbers reflect Duggan and Mahoney’s terrific impacts.
While Torres was a handful on the right and stirred the drink of the best Charleston attacking sequences, he only took three touches in the box and attempted two shots in open play. Duggan, who wasn’t beaten on the dribble across the 90 minutes, made sure that the Colombian winger was as hemmed in as possible.
Mahoney, meanwhile, had a more varied role. Yes, he tended to mark Noel (no shots on goal, only 29 completed passes) in more aggressive pressing sequences, but he was also responsible for holding down the fort against a rotation-laden Lights left more broadly. The center back did so splendidly, never overcommitting or allowing a through ball to beat him in behind.
Duggan ended up with 11 recoveries and three interceptions. Mahoney put in three recoveries - still good for a center back! - and a whopping nine clearances. Both were adaptable, especially as their teams shifted into a lower block to see out their wins.
You’ll notice the variation between the late-game strategies right away. Rhode Island sets their line a few feet away from their box, largely willing to sink into a 5-4-1. By contrast, Colorado Springs keeps the pressure up and maintains their higher back line. Both approaches worked, and both continued to highlight the strengths of Duggan and Mahoney.
Duggan gets another one-on-one against Torres in the clip, and the result is familiar. At the onset, RIFC is bunched tight on their right side and is in the process of rotating left. When Torres receives, he has an option for a through ball, but Duggan holds his closing run to deny it. When he steps up, Ybarra backfills in the defensive line, Duggan prevents Torres from dribbling, and the Charleston momentum is gone.
The Switchbacks start in their 4-2-3-1 in the second clip, minimizing space between the midfield and defensive lines. Frustrated, Las Vegas goes direct over the top with runners to either side of Mahoney. Smartly reading the arc of the pass, Mahoney backtracks toward Noel, prevents a clean knockdown, and allows Colorado Springs to clear their lines.
That was the story again and again. As slick as Rhode Island and Colorado Springs can be, their conference final victories relied on back-end physicality. Led by Morris Duggan and Matt Mahoney, both clubs out-fought their opponents when it mattered. The side that can repeat the trick will walk away with a trophy next Saturday.
League One loses two
I discussed a lot of the USL’s lingering issues in a recent column for Backheeled, and that presaged a week in which Memphis 901, Central Valley Fuego, and the Northern Colorado Hailstorm all departed from the league. Both NoCo and Central Valley claim that they’ll continue to exist in some form, but it won’t be as members of USL League One.
When I wrote about League One’s sustainability (or lack thereof) in the fall of 2023, I raised points about revenue issues related to stadia and low attendances, the no-brainer logic of jumping to the Championship, and the burdensome geographic footprint of the league. None of that has improved, even as the league adds five teams for next season.
Even so, NoCo and Central Valley were defined by internal struggles more than external forces. The Hailstorm and their Future Legends ownership group were beset by lawsuits all year long, accused of non-payment and illicit business dealings. I’ve heard from numerous sources that USL League One covered Northern Colorado salaries from most of 2024.
Fuego, meanwhile, had a history of penny-pinching, crying poor in search of government funds for even the most basic infrastructural projects. Their ineptitude manifested itself time and again on the pitch, culminating in a disastrous 2024 campaign headlined by Jermaine Jones’ conduct controversy. Their attendance has hovered below the 1,000 mark consistently - though NoCo wasn’t much better by that metric.
When I talk about dying or near-dead clubs, I try to do so in good faith. If a team like Memphis goes away, I start from the assumption that sufficiently wealthy owners grew tired of absorbing losses. Most USL teams are losing money, and if the path to profitability is no longer there - think about 901’s inability to get a stadium project off the ground - it makes a twisted sort of sense to close up shop. It’s tragic for fans, but that’s business.
It seems that Northern Colorado and Central Valley don’t meet that minimum standard. By all accounts, their resources and ethics weren’t up to snuff, and that’s a failure of the USL’s vetting process.
US Soccer’s Pro League Standards require that the primary owner of a third-division men’s team evidence $10,000,000 in net worth. In the grand scheme of things, that’s a rather small amount of money! It certainly isn’t enough to run a loss-making League One club with million-dollar wage bills, staff costs, travel, and venue rental fees.
Any accountant worth his or her salt can help a prospective ownership group get over that low line. The onus is thus on USL HQ to hold a higher standard - both financially and ethically - in permitting prospective clubs to buy in.
Back in 2021 when the Northern Colorado and Central Valley projects were announced, League One was in a precarious spot. The COVID-19 pandemic had ravaged the sporting landscape for a year and spoiled plans for rapid growth. MLS-affiliated clubs were set to exit the league ahead of 2022. FC Tucson was stranded out west.
I can’t speak to the full process the USL went through, and I’m not reporting on anything here. Hypothetically, though, allowing two less-than-model ownership groups to enter the league in the midst of those cross-cutting crises isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
The hope is that League One has learned its lesson between then and now. Four years is a long time in pro soccer, and the USL has made major strides that hopefully indicate a change for the better.
Heading into 2025, the league is adding an absolute standout organization in the form of Portland Hearts of Pine. Their outward-facing vibes simply couldn’t be better. Likewise, there’s plenty to be bullish about regarding clubs like Westchester SC; even small things like announcing a kit with a sponsor on the front are meaningful in a business sense.
Does the new batch solve the problem of West Coast isolation? Nope. Will they stop other teams folding after next year? Of course not. Still, do 2025’s expansion projects give the league a stronger base in the northeast and provide Omaha with a central partner? Absolutely. 2025 looks to be a “two steps forward, one step back” season in the third division.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t consider the future for those involved with Northern Colorado and Central Valley. Alex Ashton of League One Updater already previewed the prime targets from Fuego as well as the Hailstorm, so go check that out. On the Fuego front, I’ll echo the (obvious) choice of Alfredo Midence, an attacking mid who has “Jorge Hernandez” potential in the right situation in the Championship. Electric wing back Javier Mariona, a Project 51O alum, is another interesting shout.
Fresh off a Jagermeister Cup-winning campaign, Northern Colorado is rife with even riper targets. I want to focus on one: manager Eamon Zayed.
During his three seasons in Windsor, Zayed led NoCo to the top of the xG table twice and ranked third during a high-parity 2023. This season, he won a trophy in the form of the inaugural Jagermeister Cup.
By the underlying numbers, Zayed’s 2024 side was the single best club in the history of USL League One, posting a wickedly good +32 xGD across all competitons. Impressive enough on its own, that success came after losing Arthur Rogers and Trevor Amann to the Championship. Less discussed but equally impactfully, the Hailstorm also lost Leo Folla, Nortei Nortey, and Robert Cornwall from their spine.
Not only did Zayed rebuild the back half - the Hailstorm allowed 0.25 less goals per game in the league year-over-year - but he also improved upon an already-elite attack. The former Indy Eleven star1 didn’t just splash from the checkbook to get it done. Zayed’s ability to find rookie Ethan Hoard and grow him into an all-league striker was a tremendous achievement. His clever deployment of players like Haruki Yamazaki and Jackson Dietrich maximized their talent and serviced a broader tactical vision.
What was so consistently impressive about Eamon Zayed’s teams was the clarity of their style. The 41-year-old coach designed a 4-2-3-1ish system that could suit Bruno Rendon’s singular gifts on the wing without losing sight of team-centric imperatives.
The Hailstorm were direct without being wasteful; NoCo had the second-longest average passing distance in 2024 but still sported an 80% completion rate. They were pressureful and firm without sacrificing structure; NoCo put in 10+ tackles per game while improving their defensive record.
By any marker, the Hailstorm accomplished what they intended to do. If you’re running a USL team, then hiring a manager of Eamon Zayed’s caliber is an absolute no brainer.
The fact that Zayed, his squad, and the good folks involved with Central Valley Fuego are suddenly looking at a winter of discontent is the real cost of USL-wide instability. USL players, coaches, and staff members are incredibly hard-working people, and they forge real bonds with the fans in their cities.
Pulling the chair out from under those individuals and those supporters is a failure - one we’ve seen far too often in the USL, and one that we’ll see again far too soon.
Turnover in Tulsa
FC Tulsa hasn’t been afraid of coaching changes in recent vintage. They started 2022 led by Michael Nsien and ended it under the charge of Donovan Ricketts on an interim basis. Blair Gavin was chosen to begin a new era in 2023 before decamping for an assistant role in MLS. Mario Sanchez was the guy for the new new era starting in 2024, but now he’ll become technical director as Luke Spencer handles sideline duties in 2025.
If you’re overwhelmed…yeah! That’s a ton of change in a short amount of time, and it’s a major reason why FC Tulsa has been a competitive also-ran (1.17 points per game, no playoff appearances) during that stretch.
What’s promising about the latest switch is Sanchez and Spencer’s shared vision. Both have deep connections at Louisville City, and Spencer worked as an assistant coach under Sanchez last season. Handoffs in this manner aren’t as severe as full sea changes; think about Danny Cruz emerging from within for LouCity or the “Brendan Burke coaching tree” predilection in Colorado Springs, for instance.
The Spencer regime has already begun with a fat-trimming exercise. Last week, FC Tulsa became the first team in the USL to announce their offseason roster decisions en masse.
Expect to see more of these charts as teams keep churning through their press releases. To make it simple: guys further to the right played more in 2024, and guys closer to the top played well in their allotted minutes. It’s not perfect, but it’s a decent enough way to visualize roster churn.
In their first wave of announcements, Tulsa said goodbye to just one player that appeared in a majority of the team’s minutes. The loss of that player, club stalwart Bradley Bourgeois, will probably sting for Tulsa supporters. Bourgeois racked up nearly 12,000 minutes in Tulsa dating back to the Roughbacks era. I think he can still contribute at the Championship level, potentially as an outside back in a three-man line. Beyond Bourgeois, though, the early exits were mostly rotation pieces.
A “rotation piece” versus a “meaningful contributor” is often decided in the eye of the beholder. If I were a rival USL team looking for a super sub on the wing, Milo Yosef would be my guy. Blaine Ferri is nothing but solid as a No. 8, and you could see him providing top-notch minutes in League One in the way former Tulsa teammate Collin Fernandez did with Spokane in 2024.
Diogo Pacheco is the biggest prize of the lot. On just 38.7 touches per match - the result of a disconnected offense rather than spatial deficiencies - Pacheco beat opponents 1.3 times per match on the dribble. After putting up 4.9 xA in MLS Next Pro in 2023 - more than Noah Fuson, equal to JC Ngando - the winger still generated a strong 6.3 expected goal and assist contributions in his debut USL campaign. Pacheco is dynamic, clever, and feels ready to break out in the right system.
Of course, Tulsa also brought back a vital piece: goalkeeper Johan Peñaranda. After an absolutely sizzling summer stretch, Peñaranda cooled down in the fall but still ended the year with 6.99 goals prevented in total. That’s a counting stat, yet Peñaranda - who signed midway through the year - still came fourth in the Championship behind the three Goalkeeper of the Year favorites. The former NoCo man will be the base upon which Tulsa builds - and he’s locked up through 2026. That’ll be music to Luke Spencer’s ears as he tries to break the funk in Oklahoma.
Championship Title Odds
Because I gotta, right?
The numbers are very, very tight between these two clubs. Rhode Island has posted a bawdy +0.9 expected goal difference throughout the postseason, outshooting their opponents by a significant margin in the process. In tangible terms, they’ve allowed just three goals in three games - all of which came on the road against top-four seeds.
Colorado Springs, meanwhile, has leaned into a strong xG defense and the excellence of Christian Herrera in net. Herrera has prevented 1.2 goals above expected so far in the postseason, but don’t let that fool you: the Switchbacks are still formidable.
Even with home-field advantage in mind, my model gives Rhode Island a 52/48 odds edge over Colorado Springs. Frankly, that matches my own prediction. For more analysis on the USL Championship final, make sure that you…
Listen to The USL Show on your podcast player of choice.
Check out my other audio guest appearances, ranging from Morning Kickaround to United Soccer Lounge to Soccer Saturday.
Subscribe to Backheeled for preview content and an immediate title-game recap on Saturday afternoon.
Keep up with the USL Championship site for a tactics-centric prep piece from me, plus everything else that the indispensable Nicholas Murray is writing.
Final Thoughts
In other news this week…
Bluesky! Join! I’m gonna keep plugging it.
Check out this week’s USL Tactics Show on socials. This week: Union Omaha’s absolutely terrific counterpress.
When Phoenix announces more roster decisions, I’ll dive into their fascinating situation, but Pa-Modou Kah is a great hire. Kah has the highest win percentage of any manager in the history of the Canadian Premier League’s Pacific FC and won a title in 2021. His resume as an MLS assistant is even more extensive, and he led North Texas SC to a fourth-place finish with a +7.3 xGD in 2022 in MLS Next Pro; that team excelled thanks to a very Rising-esque short passing game. Promising signs in the Valley, it seems.
If you’re a sicko, you probably noticed the lack of breakdown threads for the Conference Finals on Twitter. That was intentional!
If you’re me, why post the exact thing you’re writing for Backheeled on social media for free? And why do it on a site where it’ll in some way benefit Elon Musk? Frankly, I find it more rewarding to write an article as a pure creative outlet.
The tough thing for me is reach. My broken brain is trained to consider likes and inflated engagement metrics as a metric of success; that’s dumb and bad. What is true is that many coaches, players, and casual fans are still on Twitter and aren’t subscribed to Backheeled. I don’t want to say “tough shit” and step away, but I’m tired of repeating myself on a dying website.
So, yeah. I don’t know!
That’s all, folks. See you soon!
Cover Photo Credit: Colorado Springs Switchbacks / Instagram
What, am I not gonna say it?