Fort Wayne FC added some French flavor to its roster with the additions of attackers Rood Schnaider, who played for the club last season, and Nathan Ntalu, who has a professional soccer championship on his résumé.
The Fort Wayne FC roster has grown to 25 in advance of the May 11 season opener against Sueño FC at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium. Tickets are on sale at FortWayneFC.com.
All roster additions are pending league and federation approval.
Schnaider, a 27-year-old native of Paris, appeared in 12 matches for Fort Wayne FC in 2024, scoring a goal, as the club won the Valley Division for a second straight year.
He then went on to complete his third season for Spring Arbor University in Spring Arbor, Michigan, totaling nine goals and nine assists in 22 matches. In 58 career matches for the Cougars, Schnaider had 19 goals and 22 assists.
“Rood is not only a very talented player, but he is also someone who understands our club and helps us spread a positive and supportive culture within the group,” Fort Wayne FC head coach Mike Avery said. “Whenever I look to add a player, I use the word ‘FIT’ as an acronym for ‘Finding the Ideal Teammate.’ Rood is an ideal teammate – he is a very good player who is also loyal, hard-working, and leads both through service and by example.
“Rood is coming off of a great career at Spring Arbor and his ability to play on either wing or even as an attacking fullback make him an attractive addition for us.”
Ntalu, 25, who hails from Lille, France, also has collegiate experience at Spring Arbor. And he played 11 matches in 2023 with North Carolina FC, assisting on a goal, and helped the club to a championship at the USL League One professional level – the tier Fort Wayne FC will join in 2026.
“Nathan Ntalu is an experienced striker who adds a different element to our team with his ability to play as a true No. 9,” Avery said. “Nathan can play comfortably with his back to goal, controlling all kinds of service even when under pressure from defenders, and he can turn and get in behind the opposition with pace, technique and goal-scoring ability.
“Nathan has experience in USL League One with North Carolina FC, in addition to a strong youth academy background in France, and we will look to rely on all of that experience as we try to take FWFC another step further this summer in preparation for our move up to the professional level in 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.
