Latest additions amplify club’s star power
The Fort Wayne FC roster will have no shortage of star power, that much is clear.
The club added three decorated players to its ranks Friday – Alsadiq Hasan, Caio Oliveira and Hideto Gondo – bringing the roster to 17 in advance of the USL League Two season.
The season opens May 11 at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium with a non-divisional friendly against Sueño FC. Single-match and season tickets are on sale at www.fortwayne.fc.com.
Hasan, a 25-year-old defender, comes to Fort Wayne FC after gaining considerable professional experience in USL League One with South Georgia Tormenta FC. He appeared in five games and started three of them last season.
“Alsadiq is a big signing for our club,” Fort Wayne FC head coach Mike Avery said. “For us to bring in a talented left back, who has a year of USL League One experience already under his belt, is a real find for us. Alsadiq has the quality to get back to the professional level and I am convinced we can provide him with the right platform to make that happen.”
Prior to joining Tormenta FC, Hasan played two seasons for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where he was a captain in 2023 and led the squad to an undefeated regular season and regular-season and tournament championships in the Ohio Valley Conference. He was selected First Team All-Conference in 2023.
He began his college career at Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois, and was an all-conference selection twice.
“The left back position is very important in how we play, and Alsadiq’s abilities in possession, in building the game out of the back, and in the final attacking moments fit very well with our playing identity,” Avery said. “Alsadiq can also play in the midfield if we need that out of him in a specific situation, and his versatility is something that we value.”
Oliveira, a 25-year-old midfielder, was a standout the last three seasons for Colorado State University Pueblo, totaling 16 goals and 28 assists over 69 games – starting all but two of them.
CSU Pueblo reached the past three NCAA Division II Final Fours – and played in the 2022 and 2023 championship games – and Oliveira was chosen as a United Soccer Coaches First Team All-American in 2024. He was also the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
“When I first saw him play (in 2023), he quickly became one of my favorite players that I had evaluated at all levels of college soccer. Nothing that’s happened since has changed my mind,” Avery said. “Caio is an electric player who catches your eye. Caio operates in the pockets between lines of the opposition and is a creative force every time he touches the ball.
“He can score, he can create goal-scoring opportunities for others, and all the awards that have come his way during his time with CSU Pueblo were well earned. Most impressively, and the primary reason I believe Caio is a great fit for us in Fort Wayne, is that his humility is probably his greatest asset as a player. Despite his talent, he is a team-first player and offers great support to everyone around him.”
Gondo, a 22-year-old defender, started all 17 matches last season for Georgia State University in Atlanta, and he scored a goal and assisted on another. Over the last two seasons, he started 33 games and totaled six assists, while putting 10 of 21 shots on goal. He was Georgia State’s Men’s Soccer Newcomer of the Year following the 2023 season.
“Hideto Gondo is a talented and experienced player who adds real quality to our team,” Avery said. “He is a tremendous player in possession, very clean technically, and brings a lot of versatility to the side.
“We will look to play Hideto in an attacking fullback role because his value in the building phase of the game is very high. Hideto is an important player at Georgia State where he will finish his last season of eligibility next fall, and he has high level USL2 experience. We feel Hideto has a lot potential and are excited to work with him this summer in Fort Wayne.”
All roster additions are pending league and federation approval.
Fort Wayne FC, which won the Valley Division championships in 2023 and 2024, will move to the professional ranks of USL League One in 2026 when a new soccer-specific stadium opens at Bass Road and I-69. Those who buy season tickets this season get priority for 2026.
About Fort Wayne FC
Fort Wayne FC, founded in 2019, is currently a pre-professional club in USL League Two’s Valley Division in the Central Conference. The club won Valley Division championships in 2023 and 2024. Fort Wayne FC is moving to the professional ranks of USL League One in 2026 at a new state-of-the-art stadium. www.fortwaynefc.com
About United Soccer League
Founded in 1986, the United Soccer League (USL) is the largest and fastest-growing soccer organization in the United States, impacting more than 200 communities nationwide. The USL is the first and only organization to offer a comprehensive youth-to-professional pathway for both men and women under one ecosystem. This structure includes four men’s leagues: the newly announced, top-tier professional Division I league, the USL Championship (Division II), USL League One (Division III), and USL League Two (pre-professional). The women’s pathway includes the top-tier USL Super League (Division I), which debuted in 2024, and USL W League, the country’s leading pre-professional women’s league. The USL also oversees USL Academy, a progressive talent development platform, and USL Youth, a premier national youth platform.