Baker and Krioutchenkov Land on USL1 First Team

TAMPA, Fla. – 2026 was a season filled with highlights for One Knoxville SC, including an historic win over Major League Soccer’s DC United en route to a Round of 16 run in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, followed by the club’s third consecutive appearance in the USL League One Playoffs.

Teddy Baker and Denis Krioutchenkov played a huge role in those successes throughout the eight-month campaign. For their efforts, both were named to the 2026 USL League One All-League First Team.

Announced on Tuesday by the league, it is the fourth consecutive year that a One Knox player has received the honor, marking the club’s representation in every All-League Team since its USL1 debut in 2023.

Signing with the club last offseason, Baker had a lasting presence throughout the Knoxville midfield in his second year as a professional.

Not only did the London-native tally five goals, he also led the club with seven assists and 40 tackles won, while completing 83.4% of his 1,515 passes in 2026. In addition to his 12 goal contributions on the season, Baker also posted 89 chances created which was good enough to lead all of USL1 by a wide margin.

Leading the attacking line for much of the year, Krioutchenkov experienced very few growing pains in his first professional season.

Beginning with a brace in a season opening win over Westchester SC, the 6-foot-3 forward used that match as a springboard the rest of the way as he finished the season with a club-best 11 goals in league play and 14 across all competitions.

While he had a nose for goal in his own right, Krioutchenkov also showed his composure with solid hold-up play in the box, leading to five assists. In doing so, the 22-year-old became the first player eligible for the USL League One Young Player award to post 10 goals and five assists in league history.

Earning All-League First Team isn’t the first time the duo has been recognized by the USL1 this season with Baker earning seven Team of the Week honors in 2026. Krioutchenkov was named to the Team of the Week three times and was also named the league’s Player of the Month in March.