GREEN BAY, Wis. – Following the conclusion of his career with the Green Bay men's soccer team, defender So Nishikawa signed a professional contract with Brooklyn FC in the USL Championship, the second division of professional men's soccer in the United States. Nishikawa was approached by U.S. soccer legend and current General Manager of Brooklyn FC, Brian McBride, who saw Nishikawa at the Midwest Pro Soccer Combine.

"So has taken a really strong development path and he's earned recognition at every level through consistency," said Brooklyn FC Head Coach Marlon LeBlanc. "He stood out in a combine setting in Michigan and showed qualities we value in our game model. He's a competitor, he's composed defensively, and he's comfortable on the ball. We like his mindset and his versatility, and we're excited to bring him into our group."

Nishikawa transferred from San Diego State to Green Bay prior to his junior season in 2023. In his first year at Green Bay, Nishikawa started 15 of his 16 games played and was instrumental in Green Bay's Horizon League Championship win and NCAA Tournament appearance. His senior season was even better, finishing with two goals and four assists from the left back position, and eventually being named the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year and All-League First Team. Nishikawa returned from a knee injury at the end of the 2025 season, appearing and starting in six games.

"As a coach, it's one of the things you really want, to give your players those opportunities," said Phoenix men's soccer head coach John O'Reilly. "When you recruit players, and they're 17 or 18, pretty much all of them have professional aspirations, so when you see one of the guys succeed, we couldn't be prouder."

Brooklyn FC started its inaugural season earlier this month, with Nishikawa already putting in standout performances for the club. On March 24, the former Phoenix was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 3. Nishikawa delivered a strong two-way performance, finishing the match with 74 passes at 83.8 percent passing accuracy, including 10 long passes and 64 short passes, while also recording 12 duels won, two tackles, four clearances, one interception, and one assist.

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---GreenBayPhoenix.com---