LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lexington Sporting Club added to its goalkeeping core Tuesday with the signing of Oliver Semmle to a multi-year contract, pending league and federation approval.
Now entering his fourth professional season, Semmle’s career has spanned MLS and the USL Championship with the Philadelphia Union, North Carolina FC and Louisville City FC. The German keeper has posted a career 68% save percentage and a 36.2% clean sheet percentage across all competitions.
“I’m very excited to join Lexington and be part of an exciting project that is clearly moving in the right direction,” said Semmle. “There is a lot of quality in the squad with great players and strong new signings, and I’m looking forward to getting started and contributing.”
Semmle joins Lexington from the Philadelphia Union where he appeared 17 times in MLS play in 2024. He made 49 saves and another five in his lone CONCACAF Champions Cup appearance.
After not appearing for the Union in 2025, he was loaned to North Carolina FC to close out the season. Semmle allowed just 13 goals in 11 appearances for North Carolina while making 26 stops.
The goalkeeper was initially drafted 41st overall in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft out of Marshall University, but Semmle instead inked his first professional contract with Louisville City FC. He started 31 matches for LouCity and posted a 69.1% save percentage along with 12 clean sheets, a league rookie record for most shutouts.
In three years at Marshall, Semmle allowed only 41 goals in 54 appearances, posting a 75% save percentage. He helped the Thundering Herd to a national title in 2020 alongside his LSC teammate Milo Yosef, was named the Conference USA Goalkeeper of the Year and was named First Team All-Conference USA.
Semmle joins Brooks Thompson and Logan Ketterer as goalkeepers named to Lexington’s USL Championship roster in 2026.
2026 USL Championship Roster
Goalkeepers: Logan Ketterer, Oliver Semmle, Brooks Thompson
Defenders: Kendall Burks, Jacob Greene, Joe Hafferty, Marqes Muir, Arturo Ordóñez, Xavier Zengue
Midfielders: Michael Adedokun, Latif Blessing, Luís Felipe, Blaine Ferri, Nick Firmino, Alfredo Midence, Aaron Molloy
Forwards: Marcus Epps, Phillip Goodrum, Braudílio Rodrigues, Malik Henry-Scott, Milo Yosef
