In the midfield, things get really exciting. Gibson joins Walker as the defensive cover for the back four, and Walker’s ability to shut down an attack is going to be crucial to provide support for when the outside backs are pulled further up the field. And then in the middle of the field we find the most exciting new acquisition, Albadawi. Directing the attack from the middle of the field, letting play go through him, will rely on his distribution. At the end of the year, ideally, he leads the league in touches, key passes, and assists. Expect a number of FCC counter attacks to be brought on from Walker poking the ball out from under an attacker, Gibson quickly collecting and getting the ball to Albadawi who then feeds the attackers with the incisive pass that leads to a shot on goal. And you know I am going to lose my mind in the bailey if this sequence ever happens. This defensive and midfield shape would be extremely difficult to break down and be an absolute monster to handle when possession switches teams.

And then finally, the attack. Ledesma on the right and Welshman on the left provide firepower that is unmatched in USL. Ledesma was a beast for the Cosmos, lighting up the NASL with goals and assists galore. Welshman joins as one of the lone bright spots for a Puerto Rico side that is in serious limbo right now. It is very possible that fan favorite McLaughin ends up in this position more often than not, but for now I’ll defer to the new guy. And then in the middle, Heinemann. The leading goal scorer for NASL champions, and dearly departed, San Francisco Deltas. His ability to score long distance shots is something FCC has lacked since day one. He has a big enough body to play holdup and layoff passes for Albadawi, Ledesma, and Welshman to lash home.

All told, this is a team that can compete not just in USL, but should make a very deep run in the Open Cup. The talent up and down the field is going to be very difficult for most teams to matchup against. Which means we’ll still probably lose to Charleston, but hey, what can you do. But the best part of this line up? It means the “second team” is good enough to make the playoffs on their own. And that might be because a number of USL teams still can’t field 11 players, but you get the idea.