Tag: Memphis 901 FC

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Memphis 901 FC Adds Young Defender Brecc Evans

(Memphis 901 FC)

Marc Burch may be gone, but there’s a new young gun set to rock the man-bun in 901 FC’s backline.

The team announced the signing of 21-year-old defender Brecc Evans, whose versatility makes him suited for multiple positions across the defense.

Evans gained experience through several years in the FC Dallas (a Major League Soccer team) Academy from 2014-2018. He played 93 matches during his time there and regularly competed for trophies, having guided his team to a U-16 National Championship in 2016, as well as the Dallas Cup Super Group title in 2017.

After a collegiate season at Cal Poly in 2018, Evans gained his first taste of the USL in 2019 with North Texas SC, a side in League One (the division below 901 FC). And what a taste it was, captaining the team to the division title. And that all came while ranking third in the league as a passer, with 1,543 total passes and an 87.3 percent completion rate.

“We are delighted to have signed Brecc for the 2021 season,” said 901 FC sporting director Tim Howard. “For such a young player, he has captained a side to a League One championship and shown immense ability at multiple positions along the backline.”

Last season, Evans split time between Austin Bold FC and North Texas SC. 901 FC’s 11th signing, he will work closely with fellow defensive stalwarts Zach Carroll, Mark Segbers, Skylar Thomas, and midfielder-turned-defender Raúl González.

901 FC’s home opener will take place on Wednesday, June 16th, against Atlanta United 2.

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Memphis 901 FC Home Opener June 16th

Mark Segbers will line up for 901 FC in its home opener against Atlanta United 2 on June 16th. (901 FC/Eric Glemser)

Come June, AutoZone Park will finally be welcoming back fans to see 901 FC in action.

The organization announced today that it will hold its home opener for the 2021 USL season on Wednesday, June 16th. Memphis will face Eastern Conference and Central Division Atlanta United 2.

There’s still no confirmed date from the league for when 901 FC will play its first official match of 2021. With the COVID-19 pandemic in mind, the USL has given teams a flexible window to begin their seasons, with kickoff coming anywhere between April 24th and May 15th. Set schedules should be forthcoming from the league in the next few weeks.

901 FC’s players will report for preseason duty on Thursday, April 1st. However, there’s still a lot of work to be done before Memphis begins its campaign for a playoff spot. As of today, the team only has 10 registered players on its roster, not enough to field a full starting lineup of 11 players.

Meanwhile, there are still question marks regarding the head coaching role. Ben Pirmann, who took over after Tim Mulqueen was sacked partway through last season, still holds the interim head coach tag, and there haven’t been any indications if he’ll be at the helm for the 2021 season, or if the franchise is set to bring in a new name.

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Skylar Thomas is the Latest Arrival at Memphis 901 FC

(Memphis 901 FC)

The Memphis defense is starting to shape up.

Earlier today, Memphis 901 FC announced the acquisition of defender Skylar Thomas. Pending league and federation approval, the Canadian is set to join up with defensive partners Zach Carroll and Mark Segbers.

Thomas brings a wealth of experience to the backline, having played five seasons in the USL Championship, and reaching the playoffs in three of them. He also spent a year with Valour FC in the Canadian Premier League. His style of play brings both strength and composure to the pitch; last season, as a member of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, the 6’4 defender maintained a high level of defensive play, winning 70 percent of his aerial duels and 76 percent of attempted tackles.

“As an experienced player in this league, Skylar will bring intelligence and calmness to our defensive unit,” said sporting director Tim Howard. “His size and athletic ability make him a handful to deal with.”

Thomas is the 10th signing for 901 FC during the offseason. He joins fellow defenders Segbers and Carroll, midfielders Raúl González, Dan Metzger, Kadeem Dacres, Mitch Guitar, and Leston Paul, forward Kyle Murphy, and goalkeeper John Berner.

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Two Memphis 901 FC Regulars Commit to 2021 Season

Raúl González tussles with an opponent during the 2020 USL season. (photo courtesy Birmingham Legion FC)

The signatures continue to roll in for Memphis 901 FC, with two players from last season deciding on renewing their contracts with the team.

Midfielder Leston Paul, who arrived at AutoZone Park from Trinidad & Tobago’s Central FC in 2019, has made 31 appearances and 19 starts in the previous two seasons. He provides a steely presence in the center of the park, and can help provide a stable base for whoever is partnered alongside him.

“Over the previous two seasons, Leston has shown his leadership and experience both on and off the field,” said 901 FC sporting director Tim Howard. “We are excited to be bringing back someone with his winning mentality and high soccer I.Q.”

The second returnee is a familiar face: University of Memphis alum Raúl González, who has been with 901 FC since its first season. He unfortunately missed the team’s inaugural campaign with a knee injury, but started to ease back into action last year, making seven appearances and three starts. And in January of this year, González was called up to play for the Puerto Rico national team for the first time, representing a huge personal achievement.

“We are pleased to have Raúl return for another year,” said Howard. “He is one of a handful of players who has been with us since our inaugural season and his versatility and athleticism will be an important addition to the roster.”

For now, the roster size is up to nine players, with Paul and González joining returnees Dan Metzger, Mark Segbers, and Zach Carroll, as well as new arrivals Kyle Murphy, John Berner, Mitch Guitar, and Kadeem Dacres.

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Memphis 901 FC Boosts Midfield with Signing of Mitch Guitar

CREDIT: courtesy Memphis 901 FC

Sometimes, it’s all in the name. In the most apt way possible, Memphis 901 FC made a strong addition to its roster with the signing of midfielder Mitch Guitar.

Memphis 901 FC Boosts Midfield with Signing of Mitch Guitar

Pending league and federation approval, Guitar joins the 901 FC roster via trade with fellow USL organization Indy Eleven. The player is a graduate from University of Wisconsin, and was selected in the third round of the MLS SuperDraft by Chicago Fire.

Over 58 matches at Wisconsin, Guitar was an instrumental part of a Badgers team that won the Big Ten tournament championship in 2017. The midfielder was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team for Conference play in 2018, but missed the 2019 season due to injury.

“Mitch is a player we identified during his college career as having the qualities necessary to succeed at this level,” said 901 FC sporting director Tim Howard. “He has a relentless engine in midfield and makes the players around him better.”

901 FC’s roster is now up to seven players, with Guitar joining newcomers John Berger, Kadeem Dacres, and Kyle Murphy, as well as returnees Mark Segbers (a fellow Wisconsin alum), Zach Carroll, and Dan Metzger.

Now, someone should probably clarify to Mitch what Memphis’ pre-match guitar smash ritual entails.

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Attacker Kyle Murphy the Latest Addition for Memphis 901 FC

CREDIT: Courtesy Loudoun United

There’s another new face set to appear at AutoZone Park this year, and this time, it’s an offensive reinforcement.

Memphis 901 FC announced the signing of forward Kyle Murphy, pending league and federation approval. Murphy has five seasons and 116 USL appearances, with 25 goals and eight assists to his name.


The forward spent a couple of seasons at San Antonio FC and Rio Grande Valley FC before a productive spell at Loudoun United in 2019 that saw him score 13 goals. 

Courtesy Loudoun United

Kyle Murphy (left) wins the coin toss as captain of Loudoun United during a 2019 match against Memphis 901 FC.

Last season, he was part of the Tampa Bay Rowdies squad that reached the USL Championship game (however, he only scored one goal in 15 appearances).


“Kyle is a hard-working, dangerous attacker with loads of experience in this league,” said sporting director Tim Howard. “We’re adding a true professional with captain experience and an impressive goal-scoring record to our frontline.”

Murphy is the third new signing for Memphis 901 FC, alongside Kadeem Dacres and John Berner. The trio joins returnees Zach Carroll, Dan Metzger, and Mark Segbers.

Check out some of Murphy’s skills here.

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Memphis 901 FC Signs Goalkeeper John Berner

CREDIT: By Noah Salzman - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61396917

Memphis 901 FC added yet another name to its burgeoning roster for the upcoming 2021 USL season.

The latest acquisition is goalkeeper John Berner, pending league and federation approval.

The ’keeper began his professional career when selected 35th in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft by the Colorado Rapids, where he made five appearances before joining USL affiliate Charlotte Independence on loan. Berner made 38 appearances for the club, and kept 12 clean sheets over the course of the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

By Noah Salzman – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61396917

John Berner warms up during a 2017 appearance with the Colorado Rapids

“The club is thrilled to be adding a player of John’s experience and quality to the roster,” said sporting director Tim Howard. “He’s a proven shot-stopper with both MLS and USL experience, and we are looking forward to having him with us this season.”

Since playing for Charlotte, Berner has racked up USL experience with Phoenix Rising, Oklahoma City Energy FC, and most recently with Saint Louis FC last season.

Berner joins the squad alongside returnees Zach Carroll, Mark Segbers, and Dan Metzger.

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Zach Carroll Renews Contract with Memphis 901 FC

CREDIT: Photo courtesy Memphis 901 FC

Photo courtesy Memphis 901 FC

Zach Carroll is the third 901 FC player to officially return to AutoZone Park for the 2021 season.

The pieces are starting to come together for Memphis 901 FC’s 2021 roster.

Today, sporting director Tim Howard announced that center back Zach Carroll has signed a new contract with the organization for the upcoming USL season (pending league approval).

“Bringing Zach back was always a priority for us heading into the 2021 season,” Howard said in a press release. “He helped anchor the backline last year and will bring a wealth of experience and leadership back to the team. His return will be key as we continue building our roster for the season.”

Carroll played in 13 matches last season, with 11 of them coming as starts. In all, he played 1,012 minutes, made 19 tackles, won 67 percent of his aerial challenges, and led the team in clearances. He is also able to provide an attacking threat from set pieces.

He joins full back Mark Segbers and midfielder Dan Metzger as official returnees for the upcoming season. Memphis 901 FC will compete in the Eastern Conference’s Central Division.

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Memphis 901 FC Transfer Tracker – Triston Hodge Heads to Colorado

CREDIT: Eric Glemser/ Memphis 901 FC

Keep up with the latest player movements in and out of Memphis 901 FC during the offseason.

The 2020 USL season may be over, but the soccer world never stops moving. In the offseason, teams are always looking to make key reinforcements to the squad, as well as move on fringe players.

What will the 901 FC squad look like come next season? We’ve seen plenty of departures thus far, as well as a couple of returnees, but there’s plenty of time for the organization to carefully target the players it wants to pick up. Check back to this list for updates on player movement both in and out of the club over the next few months.

Eric Glemser/ Memphis 901 FC

Defender Triston Hodge helped see 901 FC through some defensive rough patches last season.

Tuesday, January 26th Update:

Outgoing Players

Triston Hodge, DEF

Technically, Triston Hodge’s time at 901 FC came to an end when his two-season loan deal expired back in November, whereupon he returned to his parent club in Trinidad & Tobago. Yesterday, however, it was officially announced that Hodge would not return to AutoZone Park, and would instead be joining Colorado Springs Switchback FC for the 2021 USL season. Hodge made 10 appearances each in 2019 and 2020, and while he didn’t manage to lock down a spot full-time, he was a member of some of the most settled Memphis defensive lines last year.

Previous News

Returning Players

Mark Segbers, DEF

Some great news to start 2021, as 901 FC announced that fullback Mark Segbers would return to the squad for the upcoming season. For most of 2020, Segbers stood out with commanding performances on the right flank. His history as a winger saw him bomb upfield time and time again, meshing well with attackers and always providing a penetrative threat, either by getting to the endline for cutbacks or providing a goal threat himself. While he was left out of several matchday squads at the end of last season for an unspecified team rules violation (along with several other players), Segbers (one goal and two assists in ten appearances), this is a good piece of business by 901 FC. And as an added bonus, he’s been gaining top-level experience the past few months while on loan with MLS side LAFC.

Dan Metzger, MID

Alongside Segbers, 901 FC announced that midfielder Dan Metzger would be returning to the fold as well. Metzger has been with 901 FC since its inaugural season, playing 26 games and scoring one goal in 2019. Last season, however, saw his play time limited, with the player making only four appearances (one as a starter) for a total of 134 minutes.

Outgoing Players


Keanu Marsh-Brown, FWD

This one stings a bit for me, personally. Keanu Marsh-Brown, who moved to Gloucester City A.F.C. in England on a free transfer, was a livewire during his season with 901 FC last year, always being a willing runner, providing an outlet to teammates, and never afraid to take a crack from distance. He carried the offense through parts of the season before Cal Jennings started scoring for fun. But the true tragedy here is that Marsh-Brown’s mother would like my live-tweeting of 901 FC matches. There goes my audience.


Pierre da Silva, FWD



On Thursday, January 14th, fellow Eastern Conference organization Miami FC announced that Memphis’ Pierre da Silva would be joining its roster. The former Orlando City SC forward joined 901 FC in August 2019, and was a regular member of the starting squad in his first season, making 11 appearances (all starts) as a winger and scoring one goal. Last season, however, Da Silva only made four appearances for 901 FC.

Rece Buckmaster, DEF

The versatile fullback and Auburn native returned home this week, having been unveiled as an Indy Eleven player. He joins former 901 FC teammate Cal Jennings in Indiana. Buckmaster was a consistent presence in the 901 FC backline last season, making 14 appearances (all starts) for a total of 1,260 minutes played. While his defensive potential still had some room to grow, he locked down the left back spot, filled in at right back when needed, and even chipped in with a goal and an assist. His departure, coupled with Marc Burch’s retirement, leaves Memphis a little thin on the left side of its defense.

Cal Jennings, FWD

This is a tough pill to swallow; one of fans’ biggest fears in the offseason was that red-hot striker Cal Jennings would sign with a different club. Sure enough, USL Eastern Conference rival Indy Eleven this morning announced the acquisition of the UCF graduate. Jennings was 901 FC’s top scorer in 2020, picking up 9 goals in 14 appearances (over a third of the team’s total goals scored). At the tail end of the season, the rookie was unplayable, consistently getting into excellent scoring positions and making opposing defenders look like traffic cones. And in a memorable season closer, he netted a hat trick against Birmingham Legion. No sugarcoating it; this is a big loss for Memphis.

Liam Doyle, DEF

This one happened a bit earlier in the season, but we’ll include it anyway. The Manx central defender, initially signed in August 2019, was dealt to San Antonio FC this September. In his first season, he emerged as a defensive rock next to captain Marc Burch in the center of defense, but this year, his performances dipped and he eventually lost his place in the starting lineup.

Marc Burch, DEF

901 FC’s first-ever captain called time on a long career that included MLS Supporter’s Shield and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles with D.C. United. Burch arrived in Bluff City in January 2019, and quickly stepped into a leadership role both on and off the pitch. His qualities were evident in his defensive role, but his sweet left foot also chipped in with a few goals during Memphis’ inaugural season. He missed a good chunk of the 2020 USL championship through injury, but his presence will be missed.

Tommy McCabe, MID

The midfielder arrived as a mid-season acquisition on loan from MLS club Cincinnati FC. He slotted in well to the Memphis midfield, providing a physical presence and some good passing in his seven appearances. We ultimately didn’t get to see too much from the defensive midfielder, with the player returning to his parent club at the end of the USL season.

Eric Glemser

Captain Marc Burch announced his retirement at the end of the 2020 USL season.

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USL Announces 2021 Season Format, Opening Dates

CREDIT: USL Championship

USL Championship

Following a Board of Governors meeting, the United Soccer League (USL) announced that teams would begin the 2021 season on or about May 1st.

As opposed to the usual Eastern and Western conferences, the league will see teams split into four separate divisions. A 32-game slate will run for 27 weeks, with the season expected to conclude in October, followed by playoffs in November.

To account for any necessary flexibility, the Board has approved teams to begin play anywhere between April 24th and May 15th. Stay tuned for specifics on Memphis 901 FC, as further details will be forthcoming over the next few months, but may be subject to changes due to COVID-19. The full release can be read below:

The USL Championship announced on Thursday following the league’s Board of Governors meeting that the 2021 regular season will begin on or about May 1, see the teams split into four divisions, and will contain a 32-game slate running across 27 weeks through the end of October with playoffs scheduled for November.

In voting for a flexible start date, the Governors have approved for clubs to begin play anywhere between April 24th and May 15th. Further announcements on scheduling, divisional alignment, and playoff structure will be made in the coming months, and the league will continue to monitor the ongoing COVID-19 crises in the event that alterations to the format need to be made.