NASL News: Atlanta Silverbacks Sign Two More Players, FC Edmonton Add Arguez
Bryan Arguez played for the Strikers in 2011.- Photo by Jeremy Olson – www.digitalgopher.net
The two NASL clubs currently occupying the bottom two spots in the league table have acquired players to help them reach the playoffs with a little less than half the 2012 regular season left. The Silverbacks unsurprisingly signed two more players, Pablo Cruz and Mike Randolph, who like recently signed Danny Barrera, played for the Cal FC club coached by Silverbacks’ interim coach Eric Wynalda prior to his joining the Silverbacks last week. FC Edmonton, meanwhile, have obtained midfielder Bryan Arguez on loan from the Montreal Impact.
Atlanta Signings
Veteran defender Mike Randolph, 26, comes to Atlanta with a nice pedigree in American soccer. Randolph, a California native, began his professional career in 2006 with the USL Portland Timbers before signing with the LA Galaxy at the end of the season. Randolph played in 39 MLS matches over the next two seasons, with some additional time spent on loan to the California Victory and Los Angeles Legends, before signing with D2 side Miami for the 2010 season, and played in 19 contests for the USL PRO LA Blues in 2011.
Cruz, 21, has spent time trialing with the iconic Club America of Mexico City as well as Chivas USA, before joining Cal FC. Coach Wynalda commented on both new players. “Mike is a solid pro and someone who knows the left back position extremely well,” Wynalda said. “His experience, speed, and team attitude will greatly improve the quality of our squad. Pablo is a very impressive young talent that I’ve admired for a while now. I think he will thrive in the professional environment that Atlanta now provides him.”
In other Silverbacks news, midfielder Danilo Turcios and the club have announced to a mutual parting of ways. Turcios, a former Honduran international, signed with the Silverbacks during the offseason.
Arguez Joins FC Edmonton
FC Edmonton, struggling for wins and especially struggling for goals in the first half of the season, have obtained the services of defensive midfielder Bryan Arguez from the Montreal Impact. The 23-year-old was signed by Montreal last November but has yet to see any first team action with the club thus far in 2012, but has played with the Impact’s reserve squad.
Arguez is a Miami native who was drafted by DC United in 2007. Last season with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Arguez was impressive playing in 19 NASL matches, but his stays with DC United, Germany’s Hertha Berlin, Estoril Praia in Portugal and Miami FC have not yielded much first-team action. The move could be a win/win/win situation both for FC Edmonton, Arguez and the Impact if Arguez can earn meaningful playing minutes. Arguez has earned over 40 playing opportunities with U.S. national youth sides.
Comments are closed.
Glad to see more loan deals between MLS clubs and NASL/USL teams.
If Arguez shows the same type of form he had last year with the Strikers, the Eddies certainly have upgraded their MF. As Gerry points out, it gives Bryan so meaningful competitive minutes which can only help him as well.
@Gerry and/or BQ – Either of you heard anything about a possible major sponsorship deal in the works for the Strikers? Yankiboy’s second favorite podcast this past Monday night, Ultras Alive of course, had local Sun-Sentinel soccer reporter Dave Brousseau on. He said that Tim Robbie and the team were close to signing a significant sponsorship deal with Bacardi. Just wonder if you’ve heard anything about this. That would be HUGE for the Strikers over the next few years. Brousseau was saying that in speaking with Mr. Robbie, the plan was for the team to do some renovations to upgrade Lockhart, as well as acquiring some improved talent for the roster with the money from the deal. Sounds to me like it would need to be a substantial contract to garner that kind of money.
According to Bacardi USA’s website Bacardi does not sponsor athletic clubs or for profit companies.
I hope the organization can pull off a major sponsorship for the good of the team and the league.
@Armando – Wasn’t Bacardi the sponsor of Messi and Friends Tour? Brousseau is pretty much the only South Florida journalist in all of print, radio, or tv who covers the team regularly. I don’t think he would have felt confident enough to give out the name if it wasn’t pretty much a done deal. Perhaps Bacardi is changing their policy? As with all things in lower division soccer, I guess all we can do is wait and see.
Strikers Return –
The match was held for charity.
http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/4137/goalcom-all-access/2012/06/23/3196492/world-soccer-masters-offers-a-rare-all-star-match-for-the-worlds-
Bacardi has an already existing deal with Sun Life Stadium to sell alcohol at events held in the stadium.
I hope I am wrong. A major sponsorship like this is good for the team and for the league.