Thirty players from the USL Championship and League One will represent 21 countries this week in UEFA Nations League, Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying and Concacaf Nations League, a reflection of the diversity across the USL’s ecosystem and the talent within both leagues.

In Concacaf, the 2024-25 Nations League kicks off this international window with countries vying to join the United States, Canada, Mexico and Panama in the League A Quarterfinals in November, or to earn promotion from their current station and a place at the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup next summer.

Here are six players from the Championship and League One we’ll be keeping an eye on as the action unfolds.

1. Leland Archer, Trinidad and Tobago

The Charleston Battery veteran is having a standout campaign – he projects as one of the frontrunners for the USL Championship’s Defender of the Year award – and he’ll be hoping that can translate to an opportunity to deliver for the Soca Warriors this week. Archer has only made four appearances for his country, with the most recent coming more than a year ago. With Trinidad and Tobago facing Honduras on the road and French Guiana at home, it could be the opportunity he’s been waiting for to shine on the international stage.

2. Juan Carlos Obrebon Jr., Honduras

The 26-year-old is having a standout campaign with the Charlotte Independence. He’s scored 11 goals in 14 appearances to lead USL League One and another three in eight appearances in the USL Jägermeister Cup to help the side sit on top of the league standings and advance to the Semifinals in the Cup. That’s earned a first senior call-up for Honduras this week, and the chance he could make his debut against either Trinidad and Tobago or Jamaica over the next seven days.

3. Raiko Arozarena, Cuba

There have been numerous key figures in Las Vegas Lights FC’s turnaround this season in the USL Championship, and Arozarena is among them. The shot-stopper has claimed the No. 1 spot for the Lights with a save percentage of 73.3% and six shutouts and he’s produced a -4.86 Goals Prevented mark to put him among the league leaders in that category. The 27-year-old has shone in the past for Cuba, and will likely need to do so again as it competes in Concacaf League A with a tough trip to Jamaica to open the week before a home game against Nicaragua.

4. Jairo Henriquez, El Salvador

La Selecta’s slide in form over the past 18 months saw them drop into League B for the 2024-25 Nations League, and Jairo Henriquez is likely to be one of the players that needs to star if they’re to jump back up into the top flight over the next three windows and earn a spot in next year’s Gold Cup. The 31-year-old has only notched two goals and one assist in 538 minutes for Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC this season, but he found the net this past weekend in Tulsa and has shown moments where it’s clear he can rise to the occasion. Finding that level is going to be big this week against Monserrat and Bonaire.

5. Nicolas Cardona, Puerto Rico

To say this season has been challenging for Miami FC is an understatement, but center back Nicolas Cardona has been one of the bright spots in the lineup. He’s tied for the club lead with three assists and ranks third on the team in Goals Added at a +2.97 mark, and he’ll be hoping to deliver again for Puerto Rico as El Huracan Azul looks to continue its progress within Concacaf in Nations League B. Puerto Rico faces its toughest game on paper to open the group against Haiti this Friday. If they can come through with a win on home turf, it could open up a path to promotion to League A and a place in next year’s Gold Cup with games against Aruba and Sint Maarten to follow.

6. Cristian Ortiz, Dominican Republic

Cristian Ortiz’s rise from USL Academy signing for the Tampa Bay Rowdies at the start of this season to his first professional contract and now a first senior international call-up by the Dominican Republic has been extraordinary but shows how much potential he possesses. It might be too much to ask for the 17-year-old to make his senior international debut as Los Quisqueyanos square off in Nations League B against Bermuda and Dominica, but given the right circumstance there could be an opportunity for Ortiz as the side looks to make a strong start in pursuit of promotion and a Gold Cup berth.

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Here’s a full list of the 30 players from the USL Championship and League One who’ll be representing 21 nations on international duty this week.

USL Championship and League One Call-Ups – September 2024

Burkina Faso (1) – Trova Boni (San Antonio FC)

Congo (1) – Junior Etou (Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC)

Cuba (1) – Raiko Arozarena (Las Vegas Lights FC)

Curacao (1) – Jearl Margaritha (Phoenix Rising FC)

Dominican Republic (1) – Cristian Ortiz* (Tampa Bay Rowdies)

El Salvador (2) – Jairo Henriquez (Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC), Nelson Blanco (San Antonio FC)

Ethiopia (1) – Surafel Dagnachew Mengestu (Loudoun United FC)

French Guiana (1) – Thomas Vancaeyezeele (Hartford Athletic)

Grenada (2) – Darius Johnson (Phoenix Rising FC), Shavon John-Brown (Central Valley Fuego FC)

Guinea-Bissau (1) – Bura Nogueira (San Antonio FC)

Haiti (1) – Duke Lacroix (Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC)

Honduras (2) – J.C. Obregon Jr.* (Charlotte Independence), Douglas Martinez Jr. (Indy Eleven)

Jamaica (1) – Jahmali Waite (El Paso Locomotive FC)

Malta (1) – Yannick Yankam (Lexington SC)

Puerto Rico (3) – Steven Echevarria* (Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC), Nicolas Cardona (Miami FC), Jaden Servania (North Carolina FC)

Rwanda (2) – Jojea Kwizera (Rhode Island FC), Innocent Nshuti (One Knoxville SC)

Sierra Leone (1) – Emmanuel Samadia (Sierra Leone)

St. Vincent and the Grenadines (1) – Oalex Anderson (North Carolina FC)

South Sudan (1) – Machop Chol (San Antonio FC)

Trinidad and Tobago (5) – Triston Hodge (Hartford Athletic), Leland Archer (Charleston Battery), Shannon Gomez (San Antonio FC), Noah Powder (Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC), Real Gill (Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC)

U.S. Virgin Islands (1) – Joshua Ramos (South Georgia Tormenta FC)

* - First Senior International Call-Up