Meet the New Guys - Nicholas Markanich
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
Previous Club: CD Castellón (Spain)
Acquired by: Signed on loan through the 2026 season
Position: Forward
Who is Nicholas Markanich?
If the name sounds familiar, it’s probably because Nicholas Markanich spent the last few years absolutely terrorizing defenses in the USL Championship. The 26-year-old striker made his biggest mark with Charleston Battery, where he put together one of the most ridiculous goal-scoring seasons the league has ever seen. In 2024, Markanich scored 28 regular-season goals, broke the USL Championship scoring record, won Player of the Year, claimed the Golden Boot, and somehow still made it look routine most weeks.
That season wasn’t a fluke, either. Markanich has always been a goal scorer, whether it was in college at Northern Illinois, with FC Cincinnati, or during his two years in Charleston. After his breakout 2024 season, he earned a move to Spain with CD Castellón, where he picked up valuable experience in a more tactical, physical league before now finding his way to Houston.
What Does Markanich Bring to Houston?
Goals. Plain and simple. That’s something the Dynamo have been missing, and it’s why this move makes a lot of sense. Markanich has a track record of scoring wherever he’s been, especially during his time in Charleston, where he made a habit of being in the right place at the right time. He’s not flashy, but he knows how to finish chances. He finds space in the box, reacts quickly, and puts the ball away when it matters. For a Houston team that has often created chances without turning them into goals, that alone could make a big difference.
Markanich has come into preseason with the Dynamo and shown how lethal he can be in front of goal. He has already scored five goals in three preseason games for Houston. He’s playing a lot of minutes with the Dynamo’s “B-team” but goal scorers score and that’s exactly what Markanich is doing.
Will it all translate to Major League Soccer? That’s the big question. But between his past MLS minutes, his dominant USL run, and a season playing in Spain, there’s reason to believe he can help right away. If nothing else, the Dynamo finally have another forward who looks like a natural goal scorer and that’s a good place to start.
