As the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season approaches, multiple teams have made notable roster additions. New England Revolution II, Timbers2 and Carolina Core added several pieces over the last week in hopes of kicking off the season on a good note.
Let’s dive in and take a look at the MLS NEXT Pro signings that occurred over the last week:
New England Revolution II sign Alex Monis, Andrej Bjelajac and Collin Smith ahead of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season
After earning their first MLS NEXT Pro postseason berth in 2023, New England Revolution II continued to fortify their squad for 2024 by signing three players this week.
Forward Alex Monis signed with New England Revolution II from Chicago Fire FC, where he signed as a Homegrown Player in 2020. The 20 year-old made his MLS debut for Chicago in 2021 and scored his first MLS goal in October of 2022. Monis was an integral part of Chicago Fire II during his two seasons with the club, notching 11 goals and two assists in his 40 MLS NEXT Pro appearances.
Andrej Bjelajac has joined Revs II from the Serbian league Omladinska liga Srbije. The talented Serbian player has accumulated 15 goals and three assists in 44 appearances, amassing over 1,700 minutes of playtime in the youth ranks.
Defender Colin Smith has joined New England Revolution II after spending the last two seasons with North Texas SC. In 2022, he contributed two goals and five assists for North Texas SC. In 2023, Smith was loaned to Birmingham Legion FC, where he scored one goal in five appearances in the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Clint Peay becomes Assistant Coach for New England Revolution
This week, it was revealed that Clint Peay, the head coach of New England Revolution II for its inaugural two seasons in MLS NEXT Pro, had been promoted to be one of the assistant coaches under the newly appointed first-team coach, Caleb Porter.
Peay's transition to the first team comes after joining the New England Revolution staff midway through the 2023 campaign. Prior to his time in New England, Peay served as an assistant at North Carolina FC and held head coaching roles with the U.S. Youth National Team and the University of Richmond.
Per the announcement, details regarding the 2024 New England Revolution II coaching staff will be announced in the coming weeks.
Carolina Core FC sign three players from open tryout
Carolina Core announced this week that it was signing striker Nicholas Pechenyi, goalkeeper Robert Bailey and midfielder Facundo Canete after all three impressed during an open tryout.
Originally from Miami, Florida, Pechenyi began his soccer career with New York Soccer Club’s U-19 MLS NEXT team and has professional experience playing in Germany.
Goalkeeper Robert Bailey began his collegiate career at the University of South Carolina Upstate before transferring to the University of Alabama at Huntsville. After graduating, he joined Lee University to pursue his Master’s in Business Administration where he played 532 minutes with two shutouts during the 2023 season.
23-year-old midfielder Facundo Canete joins Carolina Core FC after having played for Florida Elite Soccer Academy of USL 2 in 2021, and Valley United FC of NISA in 2022.
Columbus Crew 2 signs midfielder Terron Williams
Columbus Crew 2 continues to bolster its team in hopes of returning to the MLS NEXT Pro Cup in 2024 by signing 18-year-old midfielder Terron Williams.
Williams joins the Black & Gold for the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season after spending time with Real Monarchs in the MLS NEXT Pro Western Conference. The young midfielder signed his first professional contract with Real Monarchs at the age of 16, joining the squad for the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season.
During his time with Real Monarchs, Williams appeared in 34 matches, scoring five goals and logging more than 2,000 minutes on the field.
Timbers2 sign trio of Academy players through 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season
Timbers2 has signed three Timbers Academy players to their first professional contracts, the club announced this week.
Midfielders Adolfo Enriquez and Alex Moreno along with forward Noah Santos each signed two-year deals with Timbers2 through the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season with club options for 2026.
Adolfo Enriquez made his professional debut in T2’s inaugural MLS NEXT Pro match on March of 2022. In his two seasons for Timbers2, Enriquez has recorded 23 appearances, making eight starts.
Alex Moreno, 18, has played in 24 matches across two seasons for Timbers2 since debuting in 2022.
Noah Santos made his Timbers2 debut against North Texas SC in June of 2023. The forward went on to make a total four appearances in 2023 for Shannon Murray’s side.
North Texas SC signs Former FC Dallas Academy Goalkeeper Michael Collodi
22-year-old goalkeeper Michael Collodi has joined North Texas SC, signing a one-year MLS NEXT Pro contract with an option for 2025. The former FC Dallas Academy player, who made 58 appearances and earned nine shutouts for the Columbia University soccer team, is set to enhance North Texas SC's roster.
Austin FC II Acquires Goalkeeper Marcus Alstrup and Winger Christopher Garcia
Austin FC II announced this week that the club acquired free agent goalkeeper Marcus Alstrup and winger Christopher Garcia. Alstrup joins on a two-year deal through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026. Garcia arrives on a season-long loan from El Paso Locomotive FC.
The 19-year-old Alstrup has played for Denmark at various youth international levels and has been a member of Danish clubs since 2020. In 2023, Alstrup moved to the Danish second tier team B.93 making two first-team appearances for the club.
Garcia, a 20-year-old El Paso native, is a product of the RSL Academy and made 10 MLS NEXT Pro appearances with Real Monarchs in 2022. In 2023, Garcia signed with El Paso Locomotive playing in 18 matches.
FC Cincinnati 2 sign midfielder Alejandro Guido as player-coach
FC Cincinnati 2 has signed 29-year-old midfielder Alejandro Guido as a player-coach for the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season. Guido, previously with the San Diego Loyal, made 100 appearances for the USL Championship club and guided them to three consecutive playoff appearances during his three-season tenure from 2021 to 2023.
Guido began his professional career with Club Tijuana of Liga MX in 2012, making 56 appearances over seven years. Following his time with Tijuana, he joined LAFC, before joining San Diego Loyal in 2021.
Internationally, Guido represented the United States at various youth levels, earning his first senior USMNT call-up in 2018 with four goals in 50 matches and was part of the USA's 2011 U-17 FIFA World Cup roster.
