RENO, Nev. – Reno 1868 FC announced its first batch of returning players earlier this week with some big names returning to the Biggest Little City in 2019.

After back-to-back playoff appearances, the club is already looking strong ahead of next season bringing back much of its core.

Monday’s announcement was just the beginning of what is expected to be a fruitful offseason.

Let’s take a look at the squad so far:

The Defense

The old adage in sports is that “defense wins championships.”

If that is the case, Reno is on the right track returning much of its defense from 2018.

Led by captain Zach Carroll, Reno was one the stout defenses in the USL Championship last season.  

The club allowed just 39 goals, ranking third in the Western Conference when it came to goals conceded. Carroll, the club’s Defensive Player of the Year, returns in 2019 anchoring the center back position. Fellow center back Thomas Janjigian is also slated to return next year after a breakout season. Janjigian notched 96 clearances and 43 interceptions in 20 appearances in just his second season as a pro.

Reno’s defense wasn’t just stout in 2018, it was also highly-efficient in the attack much in part to two returning outside backs.

Brent Richards, returning for his third season with Reno, continued to be a threat on the outside playing high in the attack this past season. Richards ranked fourth in key passes on the team with 30 to go along with four assists. Richards, a former forward, has consistently been one of the top wingbacks in the USL over the past two seasons.

Richards won’t be the only offensive threat on defense in 2019. Rising star Duke Lacroix, who played his first season as a defender, is also returning to the Azules.

Lacroix, also a former forward, primarily played the left-back role in 2018. Lacroix is arguably the fastest player in the league and used his speed and offensive instinct to create havoc up the left wing. All this after coming off ACL surgery in 2017 while with Orange County SC.

Lacroix ranked second on the team with five assists, primarily off crosses (33 percent cross accuracy). Lacroix also got on the scoresheet once in 2018 during Reno’s away match in Portland back on Oct. 3.

Main Takeaway: Reno has already brought back a crucial part of its lineup from 2018. By doing this, the club has room can be a lot more flexible when filling out the rest of its roster. By no means is the club finished locking up the defensive end of the field. But by bringing back four starters from 2018, the club is in a really good position as free agency continues.

The Attack

Not many clubs have the luxury of bringing back two of its Top 5 all-time scorers.

Reno does.

Returning in 2019 will be the club’s all-time leading scorer, forward Brian Brown, who emphatically introduced himself to the USL in 2018.

Hampered by in injury and depth in 2017, Brown returned to Reno in 2018 with one mission: score goals and score often.

“I’m paid to score goals,” Brown has said repeatedly in media appearances. And boy did Brown back that in up 2018.

The Jamaican striker put 17 goals in the back of the net in 2018 earning team MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors. His 17 goals combined with three from 2017 helped him pass fellow Jamaican forward Dane Kelly (18) to become the club’s all-time leading scorer. Brown also headed in the game-winning goal to help Reno win its first playoff match.

Head coach Ian Russell raved on how much improvement Brown showed from 2017 to 2018, especially in hold-up play. Brown truly became a No. 9 (central striker) who could make people miss and score spectacular goals.

Joining Brown in the Reno attack in 2019 will be attacking midfielder Lindo Mfeka, who has been the catalyst for one of the top attacks in the USL Championship over the past two years. Mfeka ranks fourth on Reno’s all-time scoring list with 10 goals in two seasons in the Biggest Little City.

The No. 10 from Durban, South Africa saw limited action in 2018 hampered by injuries. But when healthy, Mfeka was a handful for opposing defenses.

At 5-foot-5, Mfeka’s low center of gravity and ball control helped him weave through opposing defenders and create space for goals. Mfeka notched four goals in 2018 to go along with an assist.

Main Takeaway: With two of the prominent attackers set to return in 2019, Reno is on track to remain as one of the most lethal teams in the West. Reno again ranked Top 10 in goals scored in the league, a year after setting the USL record for most goals in a single-season (75 in 2017). Brown and Mfeka made up around half of Reno’s offense in 2018 so Reno is on the path again for a Top 10 ranking.