USL Championship 2025 Season Previews - Backheeled
With a new USL Championship season starting this weekend, we’re dropping in-depth previews for all 24 teams.
John Morrissey
Where we left off last year
2024 season: 34 points, 11th in the Western Conference
What began as a campaign of continuity in Monterey turned into a sea change by year's end. The club entered the 2024 under Frank Yallop, the only manager Monterey had ever known, but elected to move on in July after a middling start to the season.
While new manager Jordan Stewart, a former assistant with The Town in MLS Next Pro, didn't turn his club's fortunes around, he clearly helped to institute a new focus on youth. Teenager Xavi Gnaulati and rookies like Pierce Gallaway took center stage late in the year. Monterey missed the playoffs yet again, but they embarked upon a fresh project in the process.
