Written by Michael Lewis

One of the cornerstones of the Long Island Rough Riders men’s rousing success to their 2022 USL League Two season was their defense.

Long Island’s defense surrendered only 15 goals in 14 regular season matches and five in as many games en route to the championship game.

So, it should not be surprising that head coach Tom Bowen has brought back three backline players who were a part of that side – Nico Cavallo, Amir Daley and Albert Kang.

Daley, who hails from Elmont, N.Y., has been a success at every level of the game.

A versatile player who can perform at left and right back and in the midfield, the 5-8, 135-lb. Daley played 89 matches for the New York Red Bulls academy team from 2016-20, as he tallied five goals.

As team captain at Duke University, Daley has played 54 games and started 51 during his first three seasons. He has contributed two goals and two assists during his college career, earning All-Atlantic Coast Conference second team honors in 2022.

In 2022, Daley made four appearances and played 52 minutes for the Riders during the regular season, scoring once. He also played twice as a reserve in the playoffs 

Kang was one of the most dependable players on last year’s squad. He played in 969 minutes over 13 regular season games, second only to Mason Tatafu (980). He recorded an assist. Kang also played every minute (480) of the five playoff matches, which included a 120-minute affair in a 2-1 extratime win over Seacoast United Phantoms.

The 5-10, 170-lb. midfielder made 36 starts over 60 games during the last four seasons for Loyala Maryland, collecting four goals and four assists.

As a business administration major, Kang has been impressive in the classroom. He was named the 2022 Patriot League’s men’s soccer scholar-athlete of the year, sporting a 4.0 grade-point average. He was the recipient of many honors, including the Arthur Ashe Sports-Scholar Award (2022 Diverse Sports).

A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, Kang played for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy and trained with the club’s first team. He also has played internationally in England Italy.

The 21-year-old Cavallo made five regular season appearances, totaling 315 minutes for the Rough Riders last year while registering an assist. He also competed in all five playoff matches, setting up another goal.

Cavallo has been a staple on the Davidson backline the last two seasons, starting all 33 games he has played the past two seasons. He has performed in 42 contests in his first three campaigns. The Richmond, Va. native also has recorded six assists, including five in 2021.

The 6-foot, 170-lb. Cavallo comes from a soccer family, as his father played at James Madison University.

The Rough Riders men kick off their 2023 campaign at home against the Westchester Flames at the Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale, N.Y. on Saturday, May 20 at 8 p.m. It will be the nightcap of a doubleheader as the Rough Riders women will start their USL W League season against the Flames at 5:30 p.m.