Here is a brief recap of some notable off-season moves to catch you up on where some NISA players are going next. Keep in mind player movement has been very slow as of late, but hopefully, as we get into player tryouts and preseason training camp, we will see some more league signings soon. Here is a list of former NISA players moving on to other leagues.
Mumbi Kwesele (Flower City Union)
Former Flower City Union defender and captain Mumbi Kwesele played one season for City Union. He started 22 matches, logged 1,975 minutes of play, and was crucial for Flower City Union’s backline. He helped guide Flower City Union to its first trophy, winning the 2023 NISA League Championship last November with a 1-0 victory against the Michigan Stars. Before this, the city of Rochester, New York, had no champion since the Rochester Rhinos won the 2015 USL Championship title, and the NWSL’s Western New York Flash won its league title in 2016.
Kwesele had previously played for former NISA club Bay Cities FC and USL League One side Richmond Kickers. Last month, on Dec. 15, Kwesele announced on Instagram that he decided to take on a new challenge and signed with Kamphaengphet FC in Thailand.
Kamphaengphet FC plays in the Thai League 3 Northern region and currently sits in 10th place with 13 points. Kamphaengphet FC lost 1-0 this past weekend to Kongkrailas United and is just one point above the relegation zone.
Anthony Patti (ALBION San Diego)
Anthony Patti is coming off a solid season with ALBION San Diego locking down that left center back role with the club. Patti played 23 matches, scored one goal, and played a crucial role in helping ALBION finish fourth in NISA and qualify for the 2023 NISA playoffs. ALBION defeated the Maryland Bobcats in the quarterfinals but got eliminated by the Michigan Stars in the semifinal round. Patti signed with USL League One side Lexington Sporting Club this off-season on Jan. 2.
The future is bright for the 21-year-old defender from Texas, and we’ll watch him to see how he does with his new club. Lexington Sporting Club finished 9th in the USL League One table with 32 points in its inaugural season last year.
Alex Sutton (Maryland Bobcats FC)
Alex Sutton was fantastic in goal for the Bobcats and stepped up big last season after the departure of 2022 starting goalkeeper Felix Annan. Sutton started 20 regular season matches for the Bobcats and recorded seven shutouts. He added one assist and recorded 1,710 minutes in his only season with the Bobcats. On Jan. 3, Sutton signed with the new MLS Next Pro expansion side Carolina Core FC.
The Bobcats will have to spend another off-season looking for a new goalkeeper, but this is an excellent opportunity for Sutton. I look forward to seeing him continue working his way up to joining an MLS club, Europe, or whatever challenges are ahead for the 23-year-old goalkeeper.
Kotaro Umeda (Michigan Stars FC)
Kotaro Umeda (a.k.a, Kota) played one season for the Michigan Stars, making 22 appearances for the club and logging 1,962 minutes on the pitch. The 25-year-old midfielder also won a USL League One Championship with his previous club, South Georgia Tormenta FC, in 2022 before joining the Stars in 2023. Umeda will be moving abroad this year to join Resources Capital FC in Hong Kong.
Umeda made an impact during his time with the Stars on the pitch. He also played abroad previously in Brazil for Joinville Esporte Clube and in Portugal with GDU Torcatense and Previdem SC. In the Hong Kong Premier League, Umeda’s new club, RCFC, is in the middle of its season, sitting in 9th place with 5 points. According to the transfermarkt.us website, Umeda signed with RCFC on Jan. 10 and has made two appearances for the club. RCFC played a scoreless draw this past weekend against league leaders Lee Man in the JC Sapling Cup. Their next three league matches will be against Eastern, Hong Kong FC, and Lee Man.
Leopoldo Hernandez (LA Force)
Leopoldo Hernandez made his professional debut last year and played one season with the LA Force in NISA. The 24-year-old midfielder made 21 appearances for the Force, recorded 1,473 minutes, and added one assist during the 2023 season. Hernandez signed with the Chattanooga Red Wolves SC on Jan. 22.
Hernandez’s new club, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, will look to turn things around in its 5th season in USL League One. They had a disappointing season last year, finishing in 10th place in the league table with 31 points.
More Potential NISA signings on the way
According to Dan Creel of the Knights Who Say NISA podcast, we could expect more NISA signings soon.
Hopefully, as we get close to preseason action, these NISA clubs will start making more player signing announcements and see the club rosters take shape with the 2024 NISA season kickoff just around the corner. I wish Mumbi, Anthony, Alex, Kotaro, and Leopoldo all the best with their new clubs.
Those are my latest updates on player movement in the NISA league for my first blog post in a long time. I hope you all enjoyed reading it. In the comments section below, let me know your thoughts on the latest moves. I have a few more articles I’m working on, so stay tuned, but till then, take care of yourselves, and I’ll see you next time!
NISA Today FC Podcast 