# 2023 Loudoun United FC season

The 2023 season was Loudoun United FC's fifth season of existence, their fifth in the second-division of American soccer, and their fifth in the USL Championship.
The club had originally planned to begin the season playing in MLS Next Pro, the reserve league for Major League Soccer, however due to a legal agreement for leasing Segra Field, United is required to play in the second division, requiring the club to remain in USL Championship.
On February 2, 2023, Loudoun United FC was sold to Attain Sports and Entertainment, which owns minor league baseball teams Bowie Baysox and Frederick Keys. D.C. United will continue to own a minority stake in Loudoun United. Furthermore, the change of ownership also means that Loudoun United will become eligible to participate in the 2023 U.S. Open Cup.

## Background

Only four players from the previous year's squad (not including those signed to the first team in DC or members of the D.C. United Academy) remained with the team in 2023: Dane Jacomen, Isaac Espinal, Landry Nanan Houssou, and Abdoul Zanne (whose loan from ASEC Mimosas was extended through 2023). All other players who signed with Loudoun in 2022 were recalled by their loaner teams, or were out of contract and signed elsewhere. To make up for the roster shortfall, the team signed a whopping 16 players to different deals to replace the ones who left. From players with experience on other USL teams or reserve sides for MLS teams, to former D.C. United draft picks, to young international stars who showed promise.
With new ownership in place, the team could focus on building a cohesive unit and winning games as opposed to prioritizing the development of players for the first team in D.C. However, D.C. United still held a minority stake in Loudoun, and used the squad to give some of its academy players and reserve squad members some playing time: Jeremy Garay and Gaoussou Samake, who had spent most of their previous years playing with Loudoun even as they were signed to DC, were sent back to Loudoun on season-long loans. In addition, multiple Academy players trained with Loudoun and a handful (including Ethan Pendleton and Xavier O'Neil) were later added to the full roster.
Having new ownership separate from D.C. United allowed Loudoun to participate in the US Open Cup for the first time in their short history. Loudoun entered the second round as the home team against North Carolina FC, and emerged victorious with a 2–1 win in Extra Time. The team managed to draw a home game in the third round as well, with Flower City Union chosen as the visiting side.

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date | Position | No. | Name | From | Fee/notes |
| December 13, 2022 | DF | — | Thomas Williamson | Minnesota United 2 | Free |
| December 15, 2022 | DF | — | Daniel Chica | George Mason Patriots | Free |
| December 23, 2022 | MF | — | Juan Daniel Ramírez | AD Alcorcón | Free |
| January 10, 2023 | FW | — | Wesley Leggett | St. John's Red Storm | Free |
| January 12, 2023 | FW | — | Kalil ElMedkhar | FC Dallas | Free |
| January 13, 2023 | DF | — | Koa Santos | Charlotte FC | Free |
| January 14, 2023 | FW | — | Zach Ryan | New York Red Bulls | Free |
| January 17, 2023 | DF | — | Kwame Awuah | St. Louis City 2 | Free |
| January 18, 2023 | DF | — | Yanis Leerman | Pittsburgh Panthers | Free |

### Transfers out

| Date | Position | No. | Name | To | Fee/notes |
| December 31, 2022 | DF | 3 | Jacob Greene | D.C. United | End of loan |
| December 31, 2022 | DF | 6 | Gaoussou Samaké | D.C. United | End of loan |
| December 31, 2022 | MF | 14 | Jeremy Garay | D.C. United | End of loan |
| January 17, 2023 | DF | 4 | Carson Vom Steeg | Memphis 901 | Free |

## Club
### Roster

    As of October 4, 2023
| No. | Pos. | Player | Nation |
| 1 | GK | Dane Jacomen | United States |
| 2 | DF | Koa Santos | United States |
| 3 | DF | Jake Morris (on loan from Columbus Crew) | United States |
| 4 | MF | Aidan Rocha | United States |
| 5 | DF | Yanis Leerman | France |
| 6 | DF | Kwame Awuah | Canada |
| 7 | MF | Abdoul Zanne (on loan from ASEC Mimosas) | Ivory Coast |
| 8 | MF | Abdoul Koanda | Ivory Coast |
| 9 | FW | Tommy Williamson | United States |
| 10 | MF | Chris Hegardt (on loan from Charlotte FC) | United States |
| 11 | MF | Jeremy Garay | El Salvador |
| 12 | DF | Jacob Greene | United States |
| 13 | DF | Nelson Martinez | United States |
| 14 | FW | Wesley Leggett | United States |
| 15 | MF | Alex Nagy | United States |
| 16 | DF | Cole Turner | United States |
| 17 | MF | Juan Ramírez | United States |
| 18 | DF | Harvey Neville (on loan from Inter Miami CF) | Republic of Ireland |
| 19 | MF | Landry Houssou | Ivory Coast |
| 20 | DF | Daniel Chica | United States |
| 22 | MF | Isaac Espinal | United States |
| 23 | MF | Kalil ElMedkhar | United States |
| 27 | DF | Bryce Washington | United States |
| 28 | FW | Zach Ryan | United States |
| 30 | GK | Hugo Fauroux | France |
| 31 | DF | Graham Jones | United States |
| 32 | DF | Dash Papez | United States |
| 34 | MF | Brian Chavez | United States |
| 35 | DF | Ethan Pendleton | United States |
| 36 | DF | Jace Clark | United States |
| 37 | MF | Ignacio Alem | United States |
| 46 | FW | Xavier O'Neil | Trinidad and Tobago |
| 53 | GK | Drew Hartman | United States |

### Staff

    As of June 10, 2023
Executive :
| Executive Business Officer | Doug Raftery |
| General Manager | Stewart Mairs |
| Assistant General Manager | Clarens Cheridieu |
| Technical staff ||
| Head Coach | Ryan Martin |
| Assistant Coach | Mattar M'Boge |
| Assistant Coach | Garland "GR" Cannon |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Jack Stefanowski |
| Head of Performance | Claudio Altieri |
| Head Athletic Trainer | Teresse Rehwoldt |
| Equipment Manager | TJ Salzberg |

## Competitive
### USL Championship
#### Standings

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 8 | Detroit City FC | 34 | 11 | 15 | 8 | 30 | 39 | −9 | 41 | Playoffs |
| 9 | Miami FC | 34 | 11 | 15 | 8 | 43 | 44 | −1 | 41 | |
| 10 | FC Tulsa | 34 | 10 | 15 | 9 | 43 | 55 | −12 | 39 | |
| 11 | Loudoun United FC | 34 | 7 | 23 | 4 | 36 | 61 | −25 | 25 | |
| 12 | Hartford Athletic | 34 | 4 | 24 | 6 | 40 | 79 | −39 | 18 | |

#### Match results
### U.S. Open Cup
#### Match results
## Statistics
### Top scorers

| Rank | Position | No. | Name | USLC | US Open Cup | Total |
| 1 | FW | 11 | Zach Ryan | 10 | 2 | 12 |
| 2 | MF | 23 | Kalil ElMedkhar | 8 | 2 | 10 |
| 3 | FW | 9 | Tommy Williamson | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| 4 | MF | 12 | Jackson Hopkins | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | FW | 14 | Wesley Leggett | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 6 | 4 players with 1 goal | 4 players with 1 goal | 4 players with 1 goal | 4 players with 1 goal | 4 players with 1 goal | 4 players with 1 goal |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 31 | 8 | 40 |
* Last updated: October 12, 2023
* Source: Team Stats

### Top assists

| Rank | Position | No. | Name | USLC | USL Cup | Total |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* Last updated: October 26, 2022
* Source: Team Stats

### Disciplinary record

| No. | Pos. | Player | USLC | USLC | USLC | USL Cup | USL Cup | USL Cup | Total | Total | Total |
| Total | Total | Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* Last updated: October 26, 2022
* Source: Team Stats

### Clean sheets

| No. | Name | USLC | USL Cup | Total | Games |