UMA FC II
In last week's report, UMA's playoff picture was unclear, and my best guess at what was coming was off the mark. I'm still not entirely clear on how playoff match-ups were determined, but the first two rounds for UMA do at least have visibility now. First up, UMA will be hosting Potros U23 for a first round playoff match on Sunday, December 7 at 5:30 CT. The winner of that match will face the winner of the Atletico Buford II vs LSA Norcross 2 match, which will be played on Saturday, December 6.
UMA has had a very strong Fall season, punctuated by a high-scoring offense, scoring 47 goals in just ten games. Across the two Georgia conferences, the next hjghest total was 35 goals scored. For their part, Potros scored just 26 goals during the Fall, while also allowing 25. But, they had a slow start to the season, and then closed out the Fall with a run of five wins in a row. I would favor UMA here, but this will probably be a closer game than might be indicated at first glance.
Birmingham Legion
Image credit: USL League One
Roster moves came out last week (a few minutes after my last report was posted), and most of the information centered around who would be leaving, with very few details for who would be staying. In all, 12 players are definitely not returning, and that number is almost certain to climb higher. There were a handful of surprises.
Lucca Dourado was a first-year pro in 2025, and spent the bulk of the season on loan to Forward Madison. He had 8 goals and 2 assists at Madison in 22 appearances. Despite that successful loan, his option was not exercised.
Meanwhile, fellow loanee Temi Ereku (also to Madison) played sparingly, but wasn't listed among departures from the club.
Three players - Enzo Martinez, Phanuel Kavita, and Tyler Pasher - were understood to have contracts through 2026. Today it was announced that Enzo would not be returning, presumably after a buyout.
The other notable thing is that only two of the five players loaned to Birmingham were noted as returning to their parent clubs. Ronaldo Damus, Amir Daley, and Samuel Shashoua are understood to be targets to sign on permanent contracts. Damus’ loan includes provisions for buying, so we'll see how that plays out. Shashoua was not retained by Minnesota United, so he's a free agent. Signing him quickly could give the fans a boost early in the process. I haven't found an update yet for Daley's status.
I'll have updates during the off-season as they become available.