Southern Harm Spice: Memphis 901 FC Signs Neco Brett From Birmingham Legion

In an absolutely massive move (especially following the retirement of Kyle Murphy earlier in the day) Memphis 901 FC announced on Thursday the team has signed forward Neco Brett to a multi-year contract. Why is this such a big deal for 901 FC? It’s a big deal because Neco Brett ranks third all-time on the USL Championship goal scoring list with 85 goals in over 200 appearances.

“We are delighted to welcome Neco to Memphis,” Assistant Sporting Director Caleb Patterson-Sewell. “Neco is a proven goal scorer at this level and brings a wealth of experience. Throughout our discussions we learned a lot more about Neco, his desire to win a championship and what he brings in terms of mentality. We are getting a driven player looking for another big season and we are delighted it is with us.”

Just last season for Birmingham, Brett bagged twelve goals (including one against Memphis on September 30) and four assists in 32 appearances. That includes an astonishing 15-minute hat trick against FC Tulsa.

Brett was taken in the second round of the 2016 MLS SuperDraft by the Portland Timbers following his collegiate career at Robert Morris University. He only made one appearance for the Timbers senior team but did make a name for himself on the Timbers 2 team. Since then he has played for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, New Mexico United, and had two different stints with the Birmingham Legion. He joins another former Legion player, Bruno Lapa, here in Memphis.

Brett joins Memphis 901 FC just in time for their full slate of preseason games. The first game is against MLS side Atlanta United in Athens. They follow that up with another road game against an MLS side at Geodis Park (home of Nashville SC). On top of that, they will have two games in Memphis on the respective campuses of Christian Brothers University and the University of Memphis.

The regular season doesn’t get under way until the season opener against the Las Vegas Lights on Saturday, March 9 down at AutoZone Park at 3pm. There is another home game the following Saturday against Indy Eleven, though the kickoff time for that game has yet to be announced.

With the 2024 season rapidly approaching, single game ticket information is not yet available to the public. However, season tickets are on sale now.