INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, June 28, 2024) – Indy Eleven today announced the addition of defender James Musa via transfer from Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. Per club policy, terms of the deal will not be disclosed, and status is pending league and federation approval.
Musa is no stranger to the USL, having played with five different clubs dating back to 2015. He also brings MLS experience, spending parts of the 2017 season with Sporting KC and the 2020 season with Head Coach Sean McAuley at Minnesota United, helping the latter to an appearance in the Western Conference Finals.
Musa played in 17 matches, making 16 starts, at Colorado Springs in 2023, totaling over 1,300 minutes of action. He comes to Indy after starting three matches played in 2024.
The 2015 and 2016 seasons saw Musa start all 51 matches played with St. Louis FC, scoring five goals and registering three assists in nearly 4,500 minutes of action.
Musa spent one season at Swope Park (later Sporting Kansas City II) in 2017, starting 24 matches, before becoming a mainstay on Phoenix Rising’s backline over two stints from 2018-22 (2020 at Minnesota). Musa saw action in 105 matches for the club, logging over 8,400 minutes, and helped Phoenix to a USL Championship Western Conference title and appearance in the final in 2018, the 2019 regular-season championship, which included a league and North American-best 20-match win streak and a division title in 2021.
Prior to his time in the States, Musa served a short stint with Fulham before being loaned to English-side Hereford United. Prior to that, he was with Wellington out of Australia’s A League. The New Zealand native also played in the FIFA U-20 World Cup and made the 18-man squad for the 2012 London Olympics.
Musa joins an Indy squad that currently sits in third place in the USL Championship Eastern Conference after going 8-1-1 in its last 10 outings.
Following an open week, the Boys in Blue hit the road to face Rhode Island FC on Friday, July 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The match will air locally on WISH-TV and stream on ESPN+. Just four days later, Indy makes its first appearance in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals at MLS-side Atlanta United FC.
