Carolina Ascent FC

The USL Super League announced the Team of the Month for September on Thursday, with Brooklyn FC forward Jess Garziano chosen as Player of the Month. 

The St. John’s alum scored two goals this month, including the club’s inaugural goal from a penalty kick on September 8. Garziano started in all four matches and recorded five shots, three shots on target, won 24 duels and eight tackles, and sent in seven crosses while maintaining a 77.8% passing accuracy. 

All ten field players on the Team of the Month contributed to at least one goal in September. Nine players – including every defender – found the back of the net and one player recorded an assist.  

GK: Megan McClelland, Carolina Ascent FC – McClelland helped Carolina to another undefeated month, earning two clean sheets and allowing only one goal in three matches. She made eight saves in September with a season-high of five against Tampa Bay Sun. 

D: Sydney Studer, Carolina Ascent FC – The 5’11 defender recorded a league-high 22 clearances and won 70% of her duels this month, while also scoring a goal in the team’s 2-0 win over Spokane. 

D: Madison Wolfbauer, DC Power FC – Wolfbauer wasted no time making a name for herself after signing with DC in early September. The center back made 20 clearances and six interceptions, and she scored a brace in DC’s final match of the month. 

D: Natalia Staude, Tampa Bay Sun FC – The fullback was involved in both defense and offense for Tampa Bay this month. Staude recorded six tackles and four interceptions while creating chances in every match and earning one goal and one assist. 

M: Emina Ekić, Spokane Zephyr FC – The Bosnian international had another incredible month for the Zephyr and is one of the biggest playmakers in the league. She earned two assists, created five chances, sent in over 20 crosses and corners, and 4 of her 6 shots were on target. 

M: Chioma Ubogagu, Dallas Trinity FC – Ubogagu earned her second Team of the Month honor after scoring the first brace in league history, along with creating chances in all three matches and averaging 75% passing accuracy. 

M: Amber Brooks, Dallas Trinity FC – Dallas’ captain has a strong, veteran presence in the midfield, recording six interceptions and six tackles while also adding a goal and two assists to her resumé. 

M: Mackenzie George, Brooklyn FC – The Tennessee alum’s speed and ability to escape pressure has provided a huge spark for Brooklyn’s offense to start the season. George leads the team in crosses (13) and chances created (6) in the first four matches of the year. 

F: Addie McCain, Fort Lauderdale United FC – McCain currently leads the league with five goals scored, four of which came in September. The striker also recorded six shots, four shots on target and three chances created. 

F: Jessica Garziano, Brooklyn FC – Brooklyn’s No. 9 wrote her name in the history books by scoring the club’s inaugural goal this month. Garziano has also won 24 duels, eight tackles, and converted two of her five shots to lead Brooklyn to its undefeated start. 

F: Jasmine Hamid, Fort Lauderdale United FC – Another offensive target for Fort Lauderdale is Hamid, who recorded two goals, five shots and three shots on target in three matches. 

Coach: Tyrone Mears, Fort Lauderdale United FC – Mears led FTL UTD to its first two wins in club history, one of only three teams to earn multiple wins in September. 

Bench – Izzy Nino (SPK), Sydny Nasello (TB), Madison Perez (LEX), Mia Corbin (CAR), Allie Thornton (DAL) 

We’re one month into the 2024/25 USL Super League season, and although each team has only played a maximum of four matches, we’re starting to see where they are excelling and where they are struggling. 

Based on statistics and the on-field performances through Week 5, let’s break down each club’s biggest strength and weakness. 

Brooklyn FC

Strength: Physicality  

Weakness: Maintaining possession 

Brooklyn showed from the opening moments in its first match against Spokane how physical it was. The attackers were pressing high, winning nearly every 50/50 ball, and hustling to recover after getting dispossessed. The defenders read the game well and were intercepting passes or quickly cutting off angles, causing Spokane to resort to trying to catch goalkeeper Sydney Martinez off her line. 

Brooklyn’s physicality likely plays a role in having the highest tackle success rate by far (78%, followed by Spokane at 68.9%), but the team is also likely having to challenge for the ball more often because they seldom have control of it. Brooklyn ranks last in pass completion rate (73.1%) and average possession (39%). If the group was able to connect a few more passes together, specifically in the final third, it could look even more threatening. 

Carolina Ascent FC

Strength: Scoring versatility 

Weakness: Winning possession 

There was the league’s inaugural goal by Vicky Bruce, and then Mia Corbin hit a banger from the top of the box to win August Goal of the Month, and then Renée Guion scored an incredible Olimpico. There were also the two perfectly placed headers from Jill Aguilera and Sydney Studer. Audrey Harding and Rylee Baisden lead the team in shots on target, and they haven’t even scored yet. Whether on a set piece or open play, any team should be intimidated trying to defend this Carolina Ascent squad. 

However, when the ball is not in Carolina’s possession, it struggles to get a grip back on the game. The Ascent have the lowest tackle success rate (55.4%), third-lowest duel success rate (49.6) and sits in the middle of the pack in possessions won-per-90-minutes at 41.8. Carolina is withstanding the pressure teams are generating – it’s only allowed eight shots on target among its league-high 47 shots allowed despite opponents averaging 23.5 touches per game in its penalty area – but that doesn’t feel sustainable long-term. 

Dallas Trinity FC

Strength: Composure 

Weakness: Transition defense 

Dallas Trinity is the only club so far to concede first and come back to earn a win. The other time Dallas was in a deficit, it came away with a draw but probably should have won that match as well. Dallas sticks with the game plan it comes into matches with, while also adjusting to its opponent. The team is equally composed in front of goal, with 60% of its shots being on target, and when you’ve got finishers like Chioma Ubogagu and Allie Thornton leading the way, that’s a recipe for success.  

The one area where Dallas struggles, and what Lexington took advantage of in their last meeting, is in transition. Dallas’ backline tends to creep up so high, all it takes is a turnover and a through ball, and the other team is in the Trinity’s penalty area. Sam Estrada has had to come up big when her defenders don’t drop back quick enough, which could be a problem when Dallas plays a team it can’t score six goals on. 

DC Power FC

Strength: Creating chances 

Weakness: Finishing 

DC Power is doing everything right except getting the ball into the back of the net. In its four matches, it’s totaled 38 shots, 14 shots on target, 100 penalty area entries, and an Expected Goals mark of 4.95xG, yet it has just one goal to show for it – and that didn’t even come from its own build-up play. The key to this creativity has been Katie Duong, who leads the league in chances created, while DC as a team leads in cross/corner accuracy at 31.8%. 

Giving credit where it’s due, half of DC’s shots were saved by incredible goalkeeping, specifically by Tampa Bay Sun FC shot-stopper Ashley Orkus on August 24. However, poor shot selection, technical errors and the disconnect between players is plaguing the team to start the season, leaving it with a league-lowest 2.56% shot conversion rate. 

Fort Lauderdale United FC

Strength: Organized attack 

Weakness: Rising to the moment 

Fort Lauderdale’s style of play combined with its speed on the wings makes it one of the strongest attacking teams in the league. It strings together quick, direct passes up the field and puts its wingers Jasmine Hamid and Sh’Nia Gordon – who can blow past nearly every defender – in scoring positions. The overlapping runs and give-and-go passes make it look like the team has played more than just three matches together. 

When it comes to weaknesses, it’s not so cut and dried. For other teams, there are glaring statistics or performances that make for obvious answers, but FTL UTD falls in the middle of nearly every statistical category. It has beaten and lost to the teams that, on paper, it should have beaten and lost to. Its offense is great but not the best; its defense is not the worst but could be better. What we need to see here is the ability to rise to meet the moment and challenge teams against which it would be considered a pregame underdog. 

Lexington SC

Strength: Finishing 

Weakness: Defending 

It’s conflicting that the team at the bottom of the table has scored the third-most goals, but when Lexington gets those opportunities, it makes the most of them. To put it in perspective, the team has totaled 20 shots, 10 were on target and five went in. Only Dallas is shooting more accurately, and no other team is converting at the 25% clip that Lexington is. 

However, the side’s offensive success has been overshadowed by abysmal defending. The backline struggles to clear its lines, doesn’t position itself well inside the box and looks weak going into challenges. Lexington is a very young team and has faced three of the most experienced offenses in Carolina, Tampa and Dallas, but the group needs to figure something out if it wants to move out of last place. 

Spokane Zephyr FC

Strength: Patience 

Weakness: Finishing 

Spokane is averaging a league-high 55% of possession and 449.3 passes per game while ranking second in tackle success rate. The team wins the ball, keeps it and patiently finds the best option in advancing towards goal. This works when Spokane is winning, but when the team went down two goals against Carolina, it began forcing passes and turning the ball over. There are times when you’re going to have to chase the game, but this group looks best when it sticks to its primary style of play. 

However, that patient build-up oftentimes is for naught because the team struggles to finish almost as much as DC. The Zephyr have the lowest shooting accuracy and second-lowest shot conversion rate. The side likes to go out wide and send in crosses – see Taryn Ries’ finish from Emina Ekic’s delivery against Brooklyn – but that’s almost becoming too predictable. Creating more interplay at the top of the penalty area would be a good step forward.  

Tampa Bay Sun FC

Strength: Creating chances 

Weakness: Offensive and defensive inefficiency 

Like Spokane, Tampa Bay likes to possess and build out of the back; it’s averaging 54% possession and 81.3% pass completion. The group, specifically Sydny Nasello and Carlee Giammona, is great at switching the field and playing passes through or over the top for attackers to run on to. 

However, Tampa has dropped points this season by either not putting chances away or not defending well enough. Despite having the most shots and second-most shots on target, the scoreboard has not been reflecting its attacking potential. On the other end, the Sun has the highest expected goals-against mark (5.52xGA), struggles to defend without fouling and has relied a lot on goalkeeper Ashley Orkus. Inefficiency on one end of the field or the other is manageable, but problems on both could be cause for concern.