I feel like some reckless speculation, so I wanted to propose a few semi-possible transactions that could improve contending USL teams and give extra minutes to players who aren't getting enough love. Yes, this is dumb. Without further ado...
An Oakland Fullback to El Paso Locomotive
In recent weeks, the Locomotive lost Diego Luna to Real Salt Lake, but they also saw starting right back Harry Brockbank, uh, kinda just get homesick and leave? Shavon John-Brown, a natural attacker, has filled in admirably, but the side would benefit from a true fit at that spot.
Enter the Roots and their combo of Akeem Ward and Memo Diaz. A wildly skillful player, Ward is capable on either flank but was preferred on the left under Jordan Ferrell, pairing with another great transfer option used on the opposite side: Diaz. Those two were the absolute engine of Oakland's late-season playoff run last season, yet both have barely played in 2022. Combined, they've garnered less than 500 minutes of play so far, and the Roots have moved on to players like Juan Azocar and Edgardo Rito.
When I ponder what El Paso might want, I think towards the template provided by Eder Borelli this season and Macauley King in years past. Both are end-to-end types who move smartly in attack but track back admirably in defense. Borelli is adept at cutting inside and technical enough with the ball at his feet to combine with midfielders; King, meanwhile, is a bit better as a touchline-hugger with a wicked cross. Ward fits the former mold, and he would be inverted on the right in a way that promotes inside running. Diaz provides more of a King type of skillset. No matter which player you pick, I think both would be awesome fits.
Midfield Playmaker(s) to San Antonio FC
In writing about San Antonio last week for my power rankings, I mentioned that this team is lacking a real number ten. The forwards for this team are great. Justin Dhillon is the smartest mover in transition that you'll find in the USL. Elliot Collier has a work rate for days and is deceptively skillful on the ball. Meanwhile, the midfield corps is every bit as good. PC, Maloney, Hernandez, and Abu can all fill the three spots there ably.
Still, I think a progressor to sit ahead of the pivot and behind the forwards would do a lot for San Antonio. David Loera can't seem to get consistent minutes amidst some knocks, and I think he might lack the defensive technique (10th percentile defensive actions per 90 this year) to ever claim that role. Meanwhile, DeShane Beckford is too much of a dribbler and forward to really fit the bill. I love his skillset, but he's best up top, and I can't see him displacing Dhillon or Collier.
What to do? My first call would be Aidan Apodaca, currently a Charleston Battery player. Though he started the season as a nailed-on attacking option, he hasn't played a full 90 since May 7th. San Antonio is likely loath to pay a fee, but I love the fit. Apodaca has experience across the USL, and his xA per 90 numbers paint the picture of someone who can pull the strings between the lines. He capably has operated as a creator behind Augustine Williams for the Battery this year, and his defensive numbers belie a player with ample run in a hard-pressing Reno side in 2019 and 2020.
If San Antonio wants less of a forward and more of a deep-lying type, look no further than Wal Fall. He spent last season with Oakland and starred with St. Louis before that but doesn't appear to have a club at the moment.
Fall is appealing because he can combine progressivity with a holding-esque spatial role. Traditionally, the German-born 29-year-old has played in a pair at the base of a midfield, and he ranked around the 60th percentile for defensive actions in both 2020 and 2021 in different sides with different systems, illustrating his steel. Watch that clip above, and you'll see why I think Fall could be the line-breaking creator this team needs. His passing vision is hardly matched in the USL. He wouldn't be the constant #10 himself if he were to join San Antonio. Instead, his passing and skill would enable box-to-box types like PC to get forward with more freedom.
I do need to say that San Antonio doesn't need this sort of transfer. They're very, very good, and their attack is so transition-based that this kind of piece might be excessive. Still, the Sacramento game just gives me pause. If this team is a true title contender - which I think they are - then they ought to take a look in the mirror and take a swing to up their adaptability on offense.
Edit: As I wrote this, San Antonio added Samuel Adeniran from Seattle. He's amazing, and he's like a souped-up, physically-dominant version of Apodaca with a hit of Justin Dhillon thrown in. Read my analysis in this Twitter thread.
Timmy Mehl to FC Tulsa
Things started well for Oklahoma's surviving USL club this year, with new defender Ronald Rodriguez and new holding midfielder Petar Cuic leading the way for a surprisingly stout squad. You still had moments of electricity up the pitch from Rodrigo Da Costa and company, but the quality at back was game-changing. Amidst injuries, squad rotation, and good ol' fashioned back luck, things have gone south.
Now, FC Tulsa sits 9th in the Eastern Conference. They're seven points back of Indy for the last playoff spot, and the Eleven have a game in hand. To Michael Nsien's credit, the side has tried to change things up and return the defense to the form of the early Spring. The back three has been the biggest switch, and it's earned some decent draws, but I think Tulsa need better personnel to do the system justice. Chemistry issues and dumb mistakes have just been too common.
In that context, I think that Timmy Mehl could be a smart pickup for Tulsa. I was incredibly excited when he joined Tampa, and I genuinely thought he could be an able Forrest Lasso replacement. That hasn't happened, and Mehl has barely seen the pitch. Still, he was genuinely great last season with Loudoun.
Mehl is effective in a back three, the system now used by Tulsa. He showed great leadership in a side that regularly came under pressure, and his efficiency numbers - think tackle win rates and aerial success - were above average. Even better, he was effective playing long diagonal balls, a key cog to Tulsa's direct attack. As with some other players here, he may not be available for sale, but a loan move makes sense at a minimum for the 26-year-old defender.
If you've got a move you're dying to see or think there's a team with a hole that you'd like for me to discuss, let me know on Twitter. Thanks for the read.
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