How a surprising USL Championship side is having an outsized effect on soccer at the 2024 Paris Olympics

With the Olympics are in full swing, eyes are turning to the United States U23s. Looking to end the summer on a high note after the United States men's national team crashed out of Copa America during the group stage all eyes will be on this team who enter a critical match against New Zealand on Saturday. But when those two teams meet, there's one surprising American club that will be well represented. It's not even a Major League Soccer club, but rather a small but storied operation in Northern Virginia, Loudoun United FC.

The USL Championship side has played quite a part in the Olympics, with two club alumni in the United States squad, a current player in the New Zealand extended squad, and a video analyst on the staff of the United States women's squad -- a huge impact for a team that has only existed since 2018.

The Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia (DMV) area has always been a soccer hotbed, one that's usually recognized via graduates from the University of Maryland, but over time Loudoun could become one of the top pipelines from the area if they continue their path.

Who is Loudoun United?

Originally announced in July of 2018, Loudoun came into the league as an affiliate of D.C. United. While they began as a USL side, players were still in the D.C. United system due to the affiliate status. Loudoun United coach Ryan Martin spoke of some of these struggles posed by this when it came to roster selection.

"The question we used to ask ourselves, when we made player selections, was how does this benefit D.C. United. Now it's how does this benefit Loudoun United," Martin said.

In February of 2023, a majority stake in Loudoun United FC was sold to Attain Sports and Entertainment allowing D.C. United to pursue putting their own team in MLS Next Pro -- a league created specifically for youth development in America. 

No longer a D.C. United affiliate

Martin is a man who has worn many hats, spending time as a college assistant with Wake Forest before moving to scouting with Toronto FC and the Columbus Crew. He got back into coaching with the Crew and then FC Cincinnati before becoming academy director at D.C. United. That's when he was really able to begin making his mark before becoming the head coach of Loudoun United in 2019.

This season, Martin has been able to lead Loudoun United into a playoff spot as things stand in the USL Championship, but while also ensuring that core tenants of youth development are balanced with winning.

"When you surround young talents with older experienced players and they can help them figure out tough situations and find solutions in a game," Martin said, "I think it makes it so much easier for young players to grow and grow quickly."

That style is where USL development differentiates from MLS Next Pro. While there's no right way to prepare a player for the next level, they take distinctly different paths. Loudoun is a path similar to Bethlehem Steel, a Philadelphia Union owned USL club, where young players took their lumps before making their debuts for the senior team. That's the path that produced players like Brenden Aaronson, Paxton Aaronson, and Mark McKenzie, all players who are now abroad comPeting for honors. It's a path that had success, but it's also one that isn't the norm anymore.

USL Development

Looking at how Loudoun wants to operate when it comes to development, Martin's background in running an academy is pretty clear. He knows the mix that he wants and also has a setup within the club in order to foster growth and ensure success for these players. But it also isn't limited to just players either. 

"We have a Gavin Turner for example, who's a young kid in the U.S. youth pool. It's like, okay, now he can play next to Tommy McCabe because McCabe's won a USL trophy and he's also been in the MLS and Florian Valot can help certain players. Keegan Hughes who's under contract with the Columbus Crew and won the MLS Cup, he can help Matai Akimboni through a tough game against Monterrey Bay and how does he match up with a 32-year-old front runner," Martin said. 

"And what are some tricks and things that he's learned in his journey that he can maybe pass on to the younger players? So I'm very happy to have these young players and we'll continue doing so. But for me, it has to be a balance because otherwise the growth process takes too long and it stunts a lot of these kids if they look at a kid next to them who is 19 or 20, maybe a year older and they have no solutions to the answers that the game of the opposition are providing."

Speaking with players who Martin has coached, things such as the ability to make mistakes and the connection to the club stick out. Even if someone may have only made 15 appearances with Loudoun while going back and forth between D.C. United, given the amount of time spent in training and with the club, that's plenty of time to make a connection. As players get started younger and younger each year now as even a 14-year-old in Cavan Sullivan is making his proffesional debut in MLS, what development means is something that changes by the day.

"It's hard because you've got to take into context that they are young and they're still growing physically and mentally. I think mentally is the hardest challenge for coaches in different environments because physically they're obviously very gifted otherwise they wouldn't be able to comPete in a professional setting technically and tactically," Martin said. "They've got a ways to go but technically they're all pretty good. The mental side is what I found is you have to teach and educate these players on what it is to be a professional soccer player."

As more players opt to go straight into academies instead of going to college, this is something that has to become more of a process everywhere, because it's one thing having a 14-year-old debut, but it's another ensuring that they thrive and succeed. 

Notable players and staff in Paris

When the United States and New Zealand take the pitch, some of the fruits of Loudoun will be on full display. Not only will Griffin Yow and Kevin Paredes be representing the United States, but Riley Bidois is in the New Zealand swad and there's even a Loudoun alum with the United States women's team staff in Luis Guevara. Based in a town with fewer than 500.000 people in Loudoun County Virginia, there will be significant representation in Paris.

"Between Griffin Yow, Kevin Paredes, and Luis Guevara Riley, we have four former Loudoun people representing us in Paris, you know? And so for us, for me personally, it's a tremendous honor to have people go on and continue massive things in their career, continue their development," Martin said speaking about the Olympians. "Hopefully, I can have played some small role in their development and giving them an opportunity to be where they are today and build relationships with them. I still talk to all of them to this day. There's no bigger honor than representing your country and to do so at the Olympic Games is massive and to have four Loudoun guys that I worked with is even more special."

In Bidois getting that call to New Zealand, it marks the third consecutive men's Olympics to feature a USL player on a roster. That's a moment that shows the growth of the league, despite it being a lower division in American soccer, the impact of the United Soccer League is only growing by the day as it establishes a larger footprint both domestically and in the global transfer market.

"I think this is a time for us as a league to take a step back and be proud of where we've been the last three, four, five, six years in the growth and development of the sport. Not only in the U.S. but around the world. Specifically in the U.S. with some of the players that you're mentioning as well as staff," USL President Jeremy Alumbaugh said about the league's impact on the Olympics.

"And that's another thing that I'd like to take away. We spend a lot of time on players, and this may be a personal feel, but I think it's just as important that we on the sporting side, as well as the business side, make the move, make the jump, and that they may be able to be in the Olympic Games representing a sport that they love so much about. So I think we need to take a step back sometimes and just put a smile on our face and look at the path that some of these players took."

He continued to mention Patrick Shulte, the current Columbus Crew goalkeeper and US U23 starter. Schulte began his career with Saint Louis FC in USL and is just yet another example of how much of an impact the league has had over the years.

What's changing

While the path of development is changing rapidly, USL and Loudoun United are making sure that they have a role staked out in that path. We don't know what will come next as there's a chance that things like NIL deals could draw more players to go to college shifting the ever moving target. But even Martin is looking to continue his own development. 

"You know, one day, I'd like to get to Europe and be a manager over there and it's a reality but what we tell people is Loudoun is a great place to be from," Martin said. "When you get down your path you will you'll take lessons with you along the way and A part of your journey and we're fortunate to play a part in these guys journey." 

It's a journey that won't come to an end as the United States and New Zealand take the pitch but that's a significant moment for reflection of how far the team has come and where they can continue to go in the future.