Union signs Ilsinho to two-year deal
The Union bolstered their midfield with the signing of 30-year-old Brazilian Ilsinho to a two-year contract. Ilsinho has been with the Union during the preseason as a trialist.
The Union bolstered their midfield with the signing of 30-year-old Brazilian Ilsinho to a two-year contract.
Ilsinho has been with the Union during the preseason as a trialist.
He spent six seasons over two stints with Shakhtar Donetsk of the Ukrainian Premier League. During that time he appeared in 176 games and totaled 22 goals and 19 assists. He was a member of Brazil's bronze-medal team in the 2008 Olympics.
During a conference call Tuesday, coach Jim Curtin talked about how impressive Ilsinho has been this preseason. Union sporting director Earnie Stewart echoed those comments.
"For a player with experience at the highest level in this sport, he came into our preseason camp with a tremendous work rate, and that speaks to the type of person he is and who we want at our club," Stewart said in a statement. "His elite-level attacking ability speaks for itself, and we're confident he'll have an immediate impact."
Ilsinho will occupy the Union's seventh and final international roster spot.
MLS teams are allocated eight such spots, but they are able to be traded. The Union dealt one in July to Houston in the Sheanon Williams trade.
The other Union players who occupy international roster spots are defenders Anderson Conceicao and Joshua Yaro; midfielders Roland Alberg, Eric Ayuk, and Tranquillo Barnetta; and forward Fabian Herbers.
An international roster spot opened up when French midfielder Vincent Nogueira received his green card.
The Union, who plan to play five midfielders, have continued to add depth to what is stacking up as their strongest position.
They open their seventh Major League Soccer season on March 6 at FC Dallas.
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