July 2023: I had the chance to sit down with Nick Markanich of the Charleston Battery to talk about his transition to USL Championship from MLS.
As a FC Cincinnati writer, Markanich's move to Charleston was one that always interested me from the start, when he joined the club as a preseason trialist following FC Cincinnati's decision to not trigger Markanich's contract extension following the 2022 season.
Markanich spoke about his experience in MLS, reflecting on his MLS SuperDraft and time with Cincinnati, while letting fans know a little more about himself - including a dream 5-a-side team of former (or current) teammates... that didn't feature his twin brother Anthony.
Since then, Markanich helped Charleston make the USL Championship Final in 2023, then followed it up by setting records in 2024:
USL Championship single-season goalscoring record (28)
Charleston Battery single-season all competition goalscoring record (28)
USL Championship single-season attacking duo goalscoring record (41, MD Myers)
Markanich's incredible season with Charleston was rewarded with a transfer to LaLiga 2 side CD Castellón following the 2024 USL season. With Markanich's historic regular season coming to a close and his move to Europe on the horizon, we caught up with the Charleston winger to talk Charleston, Castellón, Philippines, and more.
Charleston Battery
What has the last 15 months (since our last interview) been like?
NM: Coming to Charleston last year on trial, I didn't really know much about the club or Charleston itself - it was my first time here. Last year, I had a great time with the team and it was a good year, a great group of guys, and we made it to the (USL Championship) Finals. This year, I felt more comfortable with the team and coaching staff, so I think having them and the players next to me has been awesome throughout my career with Charleston. This is a great place to be and I've enjoyed every single minute that I've been here.
It's been a record breaking season - highlighted by the USL Championship single season goal record - Was that the goal for you heading into the season, and if not, when did it feel like a mark that was achievable for you during the season?
NM: I didn't expect that I was gonna score this many goals. My goal was just to reach double digits this year, and I actually reached double digits pretty quick this year. Once I had that four goal game against Vegas, I was like 11 goals in, I just wanted to reach 20 by the end of the year and I've passed that too, by a lot. I'm at 28 and it's just been clicking in front of goal - I've been taking my chances, every chance I've got in the game I've just been taking advantage of it, so it's just been much cleaner and I think my movements in the box have been a lot better and harder to defend for the other team. So, yeah, it's just been clicking for me this year.
Take me back through that 4 goal game against Las Vegas in late April. What was that game like for you?
NM: To be honest, I didn't think I even had a good game... I probably only had like four shots and all the shots went in. Other than that, I didn't think I was that clean on the ball either. I just got lucky and got some good chances in front of goal and took advantage of it. It was really awesome how that happened and we ended up winning 6-0, so it was a fun game for sure. I enjoyed it.
You've been playing as a RW this year, and looking back at last season, you played all around that frontline for Charleston. Do you attribute your success to the consistency in your positional play, and do you feel most comfortable in that RW role?
NM: I think Ben (Pirmann) and the staff, they know I can play any of the front four positions, so I think last year, they were just trying to find the best position for me and (where I could best) help contribute to the team. Towards the end of the year, I was playing more in the winger spot and they thought that was my best spot with the team, and I thought so too. They (Charleston) like playing with inverted wingers, which I'm more of an inverted player so I think that's what helped too. Like Ben (Pirmann) said, I don't really play the winger as like a natural winger, I play more as like a number 9 and inverted, going out wide as I need to. Having that role has definitely helped me, for sure. I'm able to cut inside or, if I have to, go out and help Mark Segbers. I think playing that position throughout the year has helped, because I've built a lot of chemistry with Mark Segbers and whether it's MD (Myers) or Jackson (Conway) up front and Arturo (Rodriguez) or Emilio (Ycaza) at the 10, I think having those connections and chemistry throughout the season has definitely helped, and being able to stay in that RW position has definitely helped me become a better player too.
Fidel Barajas got the move during the offseason to MLS side Real Salt Lake, and shortly after he got an international transfer to Chivas in LigaMX - and now you have your international move coming up soon, joining LaLiga 2 side CD Castellón. How much do you attribute the success of these wingers in Charleston to the organization and the coaching staff... for a club that has had two successful outbound transfers in successive transfer windows?
NM: It's an awesome feeling to get noticed by a LaLiga team, CD Castellón. It's been a privledge to play with the Charleston Battery, they're such a great club and we have a great setup here. We have it pretty nice over here: the way we've been treated, how the coaches run things, the staff. Going to CD Castellón is going to be a great opportunity for me. They don't play the same formation as Charleston, they play with two strikers, so I'm not really sure what position I'll be playing over there... but whatever they see me as, obviously, I'm there to score goals so hopefully I go over there and keep scoring. Charleston definitely developed me to be able to play any position in the front four, so we'll see what happens.
CD Castellón
What was the "transfer saga" like for you as a player, juggling the emotions of a potential move across the Atlantic, all while being right in the thick of a Players' Shield chase in the top of the Eastern Conference table?
NM: It was a lot when all that stuff was happening, for sure. It for sure was stressful, thinking about it and thinking about moving my whole life to Spain and bringing everything with me - my girlfriend and my two dogs - we had to make sure that they're fine getting over there with all their paperwork and getting all that stuff figured out. It was just a lot of stuff to think about outside of soccer. The contract, that was going to get there. My agent was negotiating, so I wasn't really too worried about that, but I had to make sure it was the right move for me and my family was all good with it. And also, I had to make sure to stay focused with the Charleston Battery, finishing out games, which I thought I did. Obviously, once you step onto the field, you don't really think about that stuff because you're more focused on the game, but even then, a couple of the staff and players just had little talks with me to make sure I'm alright and told me to let that (transfer) happen on its own, let my agent figure it out and to keep focusing on the games... and that was really helpful, having those talks with teammates and staff. They've been helping me a lot through all of this and they all have my back. They've been there for me through that whole process, which was super awesome.
Have you been to Spain before?
It's my first time going to Spain. So, I'm not really sure what to expect, but I've heard nothing but good things, which is awesome.
How's your Spanish?
Yeah, I'm still learning. It's not good at all. Not good. We've still gotta work on it.
Have you had any contact with your new teammates at all?
There's an American goalkeeper (Brian Schwake) that I've texted a couple times. He's actually from Chicago too, where I'm from, so that's pretty cool.
With your move to Europe, you're moving to a league that obviously has the highs of promotion and the lows of relegation attached to the season - something more to play for outside of a league title - and obviously not something that's implemented in the United States, for better or for worse. Does a move to a league where you're one step away from making it to LaLiga give you extra motivation and excitement for when you join the club?
Yeah, having that promotion and relegation system over in Europe, I think, is awesome. Being able to get promoted to LaLiga, it's motivating - every point matters over there. They're actually doing very well this year, CD Castellón, they're having good results, so hopefully they keep going and by the time I get there, I can help contribute and get good results and potentially get promoted.
Phillipines National Team
Last we spoke, you expressed interest in playing alongside your brother once again. Of course, with your move to Spain, that becomes a bit more challenging to achieve at the club level. Do you foresee a future where you would share the field at the national team level, whether that be for the USA where you've grown up, or for the Philippine National Team, where there seems to be a lot of mutual interest?
Yeah. The Philippines, we're still in contact with them. Still figuring it out, they're doing all the work, trying to get the paperwork and passports together. I'm not sure how far along that is, but it's been a really long process. We started talking to them at the beginning of the year and still, nothing's been finalized yet. So, I'm not sure what's going on over there but it'd be awesome to be able to play with him over in the Philippines, that would be fun. Even the US, maybe I can make a move over there, do well in Spain or they see something now... Whatever happens, happens, but it'd be awesome to play on the same national team with my brother, whether that's the Philippines or the US.
Above: Philippines National Team Director Freddy Gonzalez spoke earlier this month on the Markanich twins' future with the Philippine NT in a presser.
Former teammate of yours, Zico Bailey, made his debut with the Philippines NT earlier this year. You two shared some time together with FC Cincinnati back in 2022, have you had any discussions with him about the Filipino NT?
Yeah, I've talked to him a lot, now that he's played with the Philippines. Asked some questions, just connecting with him about it - he enjoyes it, so it'd be cool to play with him too.
Rapid Fire Questions
We did this segment last time - and NIU’s twitter account had joked about you leaving Anthony off your 5-a-side team, so I think we should go through some of these questions again and see if you have any changes to your responses:
Favorite soccer moment?
Now, my favorite soccer moment is breaking the record this year, my 26th and 27th goal against Tampa.
Follow up: That celebration in that Tampa match, I know you had said in an interview going into the match that you didn't have a celebration planned... but that certainly looked rehearsed to some degree. Walk me through that celebration... what inspired it?
With Mark (Segbers) and Emilio (Ycaza), we've always been doing that dance, jokingly, at practice or whether we're out and about, just messing around and so it went... "hey, let's just do that, if I score". Emilio wasn't on the field when I scored, so me and Mark had something set up.
Pregame routine? Specifically, home matches.
On regular game days, I just like to chill and lay around, be lazy - not do much. Obviously, go out for walks with my dogs and make sure I eat breakfast and eat pregame lunch at a certain time, depending on what time the game is.
Follow up: Any game day superstitions?
Not really. This year, I had to make sure I wore the same boots every game, I didn't wanna change my goalscoring boots. But now, they're ripped so now I'm kinda panicking, I'm not sure what to wear.
The big question - If you had to make a 5-a-side team with players you’ve played with (you can include yourself), what would that team look like?
In goal, I'll put Roman Celentano. I'll put my brother, Anthony (Markanich), I'll put myself in there... and put Emilio Ycaza and Mark Segbers. Put my boys in there.
You and Anthony (Markanich) both wear the number 13 kit, any significance to that number?
I was number 13 all throughout my college career, so that just stuck with me. I think that was open for Anthony to wear too, and I don't think his number was open so he just picked number 13 to stay with the family and I'm number here 13 too, so it was just a good number for the both of us that we like.
Follow up: I've heard that you have the number 13 tattooed... any significance to that tattoo?
I got number 13 on the back of my arm. I got it tattooed... because it was my jersey number. I think Anthony has 31 (tattooed), his number from Colorado.
You've achieved so much this season, what's a personal goal you have for the rest of this season?
Obviously, hopefully win the Eastern Conference Championship and make it back to the (USL Championship) final here, so that's my main goal now.
Special thanks to the Nick Markanich and Ben Clemens for making this possible. All photo credits go to the Charleston Battery.
