Getting To Know Puerto Rico FC

Photo credit: Puerto Rico FC

Puerto Rico makes its NASL debut on Saturday, July 2, against Spring Season Champion Indy Eleven. The inaugural roster for the club as professional soccer returns to Puerto Rico has several familiar faces in the NASL, but plenty of players will be introduced to the NASL in the Fall Season. Below are some facts about each player currently signed to the team: 

GK

Austin Pack – Named Gigi Buffon as his favorite player.

Trevor Spangenberg – Studied criminology at Missouri State University, where Tampa Bay Rowdies goalkeeper Matt Pickens earned the same degree.

David Meves – Named proudest moment as winning 2010 NCAA tournament with Akron University.

DEF

Cristiano Dias – Named captain of Puerto Rico FC and helped Minnesota claim an NASL title in 2011.

Rudy Dawson – Scored the goal that sent FC Uruguay to the Primera Division after 30 years in Costa Rica’s second division. Represented Costa Rica at U-17, U-20, and U-23 levels.

Ramon Soria – Appeared in two UEFA Europa League games in 2015/2016 with Slovenian side NK Celje. Was also a member of the inaugural Ottawa Fury FC roster.  

Ramon Martin del Campo – Joined Puerto Rico FC on loan from Costa Rican side Deportivo Saprissa where he signed a two-year contract in 2015. Was called into the U.S. U-23 team in 2014.

Camilo Botero – Scored against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers for the Laredo Heat in a 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup game.

Kyle Culbertson – Was on the 2015 Big Ten Players To Watch List, was first on the team in points with 17 (six goals, five assists) that same season.

MID

Conor Agnew – Trained in the past with Brazilian club Fluminense.

Chris Nurse – Has played in the NASL since 2011, was named the 2014 Humanitarian of the Year, and also captains the Guyana national team.

Jorge Rivera – Scored his first international goal for Puerto Rico on March 26, 2016, in a 4-0 win over Anguilla in a 2017 Caribbean Cup qualifier.

Paulo Mendes – Was a member of the New York Cosmos squad that defeated Atlanta and twin brother Pedro to win the 2013 NASL title.

Jackie Marrero – Played in the NASL in 2012. Spent the 2014 season with Finnish club Kultsu FC, scoring six league goals.

Brian Bement – Scored on his collegiate debut and was named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer team in 2011. Was also a two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection at Loyola University Chicago.

Tyler Rudy – Played 14 times in the Rochester Rhinos’ title-winning campaign in the USL in 2015.

FWD

Pedro Mendes – Earned the 2013 NASL Goal of the Year.

Oliver – Was a member of Ottawa Fury FC’s inaugural squad and scored nine goals in two seasons with the club. Played in The Championship Final in 2015.

Sidney Rivera – Scored against Indy Eleven in last year’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Bljedi Bardic – Tallied 84 goals in 64 games in the NPSL.

Hector Ramos – Helped Salvadoran club Isidro Metapan to three titles (2013/2014 Apertura and Clausura, 2014/2015 Apertura). Played with New York Cosmos midfielder Andrés Flores.

David Lopez – Played with Puerto Rico FC teammate Hector Ramos at Isidro Metapan, winning two titles.