Recently, Brooklyn Football Club (Brooklyn FC) Men’s team announced it has signed its first group of players including veteran midfielder Tommy McNamara, goalkeeper Lukas Burns, Canadian forward Shaan Hundal, Brazilian defender Gabriel Alves, and midfielder Peter Mangione, pending league and federation approval.
Brooklyn FC will debut in the United Soccer League (USL) Championship on March 8, 2026, when the team faces Indy Eleven at Maimonides Park on Coney Island, Brooklyn.
McNamara, a New York native who played at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J., sports ample MLS playing experience, suiting up for Chivas USA, New York City FC, the Houston Dynamo, and the New England Revolution, scoring 22 goals and 30 assists over 219 games.
Additionally, he most recently played for Las Vegas Lights FC.
Brooklyn FC Men’s head coach Marlon LeBlanc said McNamara’s particular impressive skill set will bode well for the team in 2026.
“Tommy sets the standard for what we want to build from day one,” LeBlanc said in a press release. “He competes, he will connect the group, and he understands what it takes to prepare every week in this league. He is a true pro, and we want his edge, his leadership, and his New York pride at the center of our team.”
Burns, 23–a Cinnaminson, N.J., native–most recent soccer stay was with Timbers2 in MLS NEXT Pro. Before that, he played collegiately at Providence College, where he posted 1,965 minutes in goal for the Friars in 2024 while earning BIG EAST Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year honors, too.
Hundal, 26, saw action with York United FC–now known as Inter Toronto Football Club–where he scored five goals in 14 league matches in 2025.
He started his professional career with Toronto FC II, netting 17 tallies in 84 league appearances from 2016 to 2019.
Alves, 26, suited up most recently for Tormenta FC in USL League One. Also, he played college soccer for Marshall University from 2020 to 2022, making 52 appearances and netting two goals while helping the Thundering Herd win the 2020 NCAA College Cup.
Mangione, 24, an American midfielder from Hunt Valley, Md., joins Brooklyn from the FC Cincinnati organization after turning pro with FC Cincinnati 2 in MLS NEXT Pro.
He made his mark with the Penn State Nittany Lions, where he found the back of the net 31 times in his college career, and also earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2021 and 2023.
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Photo: Brooklyn FC Media.
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