There is a familiar sight in the USL these days. A lanky forward smashes the ball into the net, usually with his left foot, before cooly - almost too comfortably - jogging to the corner flag, raising his arms, and forming a heart with outstretched hands.
It has happened 27 times, in fact, the same player, doing the same thing, week in, week out for the Charleston Battery. That forward, 24-year-old Nick Markanich, has etched himself into the history books of American soccer, breaking the USL single-season goalscoring record.
It has earned him something bigger, the Illinois native soon to move to Spain in a six-figure deal that will rank among the most expensive in USL history. It perhaps stands as proof that this league is a breeding ground for high level European talent.
“Everything’s really just been clicking this year,” Markanich told GOAL.