Carolina Soccer Report: Crown Legacy FC signs $2m midfielder, NC Courage acquires USWNT player, Carolina Core FC acquires midfielder on loan from Swansea City
By Ryan Donahue
Charlotte FC is back this upcoming weekend as the side travels to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Sounders in the MLS weekend opener. As the side wraps up its preseason fixtures and prepares for kickoff this Saturday, other teams around the Carolinas are also preparing for new seasons, or in Carolina Ascents' case, are in midseason form. Here’s everything you need to know to follow along with soccer in the Carolinas as we kick off 2025:
Top Stories of the Winter
Charleston Battery
The Charleston Battery had a great season last year, finishing second in the USL Championship Eastern Conference, and will be looking to carry the run of good form into their season opener against Louisville City FC. The Battery is finishing up their preseason schedule against the Greenville Triumph this Wednesday night, along with Charlotte Independence at the weekend.
The Battery has become known as a spot for developing young talent and helping them progress into the next stage of their careers. In 2024 alone, they transferred Fidel Barajas to Real Salt Lake, Trey Muse to the Portland Timbers, and Nick Markanich to Spain’s CD Castellon in La Liga 2.
This year, a young player to start monitoring in Charleston is Viggo Ortiz. He just recently re-signed and is playing for the Mexican YNT in the Concacaf U17 Championship.
NCFC
The USL Championship kicks off in early March, with North Carolina FC hoping to start positively. NCFC will take on the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC at home on March 8.
Ahead of the season’s official kick-off, NCFC has already had two preseason games in which they beat Charlotte FC and lost to the Charleston Battery 2-0. NCFC will have one more preseason fixture against Loudoun United FC this weekend.
NCFC will hope to improve on what many would consider to be just an average season for the club last year, with the side finishing eighth in the USL Eastern Conference.
One of NCFC’s biggest offseason moves was to bring in defender Patrick Burner (28), who has Ligue 1 experience in France and has 15 caps for Martinique at the international level.
Charlotte Independence
Charlotte Independence will play their season opener on March 15 away to the Richmond Kickers. The Independence finished sixth last season and will be looking to make a statement that Charlotte FC isn't the only men’s professional team in the Queen City worth watching. Ahead of their season opener, the Independence will play the Battery next Saturday, and then two closed-to-the-public friendlies against Charlotte FC and Carolina Core in March to wrap up preseason training.
One of Independence’s most notable winter signings is Rafael Jauregui (20) from the Sacramento Republic. The midfielder earned a call-up to the USYNT U15s before earning his first pro deal with Sacramento.
Greenville Triumph
The Greenville Triumph SC had a strong campaign last season, finishing fourth among twelve in the USL League One regular season. The club's first preseason fixture is this Wednesday against its state rivals, the Charleston Battery. Greenville kicks off its regular season on March 8 against Westchester, SC.
The Triumph recently launched a new U20 pre-pro player pathway for both their boys' and girls' academies. This project aims to provide their Upstate talent with an additional opportunity to develop and potentially advance to their professional level.
Crown Legacy FC
Crown Legacy finished 2024 eighth in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference and won their first club playoff game during the campaign. Legacy has established itself as a proven pathway for players looking to make the jump into Charlotte FC’s First Team.
Crown Legacy kicks off on March 7 against NYCFC II, and for many fans in the Charlotte area, watching prospective players is just as enticing as observing first-team matches.
One winter signing to watch for at Legacy is Baye Coulibaly, who was brought in from NK Kustosija on a transfer fee north of $2m. Spanish giants Atletico Madrid had made a formal bid for Coulibaly last fall.
Carolina Core
Carolina Core FC, the Piedmont area’s newest addition to professional sports, will face off on March 14 against Inter Miami II in MLS NEXT Pro. Last season, the Core finished 10th in the Eastern Conference, and fans were thrilled to have a new team to support in the Carolinas. With the Core continuing to develop both on and off the field, fans should be excited for their season ahead. One way they aim to increase excitement and notoriety is with their new facility, which Carolina Core is scheduled to open this year.
A notable name to watch at Carolina Core is their new loan-signing midfielder, Glory Nzingo. Nzingo is on loan for the 2025 season from Swansea City, where he was playing for their U21 squad.
North Carolina Courage (W)
The North Carolina Courage’s 2025 NWSL season opener starts against Racing Louisville on March 15. The Courage last season finished fifth across fourteen teams in the league but will be ambitious that they can reach higher after a strong 2023 season in which they finished third.
One of the Courage’s most notable moves so far this winter was acquiring midfielder Jaedyn Shaw from the San Diego Wave. Shaw also has 21 caps for the USWNT.
Carolina Ascent FC (W)
Carolina Ascent FC is already fifteen games into their 2024/2025 USL Super League season, and the side currently is sitting third out of eight spots in the competition. Ascent has picked up six wins and six draws with only three losses. They won only one of its last three games with a win over Lexington this past Saturday, but will want to keep the momentum going into this upcoming Sunday’s fixture against DC Powers FC.
Ascent goalkeeper Meagan McClelland currently leads the USL Super League in clean sheets with six.
