COLUMBUS – Columbus Crew SC today announced that the club has signed Argentine First Division defender Hernan Grana (HER-non GRAH-nuh) as a Discovery Signing. Grana has spent the past seven seasons in his native Argentina playing in the topflight Primera Division. Per club and MLS policy, additional details of the deal were not disclosed. Grana will officially be added to the Black & Gold roster pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and P-1 Visa.
Most recently with Boca Juniors in the Argentine First Division, Grana helped the traditional power to a second-place finish in the 2013-14 Torneo Final. Over his past seven seasons in the topflight, Grana has made a total of 164 league appearances, helping his club keep a clean sheet on 52 occasions over that span. A disciplined defender, he has been sent off just once in his topflight career that spans just shy of 13,000 minutes played.
“We’re excited to have Hernan join the team,” said Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. “He’s a very experienced defender that is used to playing in high-pressure situations. We feel that his style of play and experience are not only going to be an asset on the field but are going to help our younger players as they continue to develop.”
Prior to joining Boca Juniors, Grana played for All Boys, Belgrano, Quilmes and Lanus in the topflight. He has scored four professional goals, with three coming in the Primera Division: one with Belgrano and two with All Boys. He began his topflight career with Lanus in 2008, spending two-and-a-half seasons with the club before moving to Quilmes on a loan to finish the 2011 campaign. He joined Belgrano on a loan deal for 2011-12 before moving to All Boys for his second stint with that club for one-and-a-half seasons ahead of his loan to Boca Juniors.
Before playing in the Primera Division, Grana began his professional career with Platense in 2003, where he won the Apertura championship of the Third-Division Primera B Metropolitana in 2006. He briefly moved to Los Andes before joining All Boys for his first stint with the club in 2007, where he scored his first professional goal and helped the team earn promotion to the Second Division. His success with All Boys led to his move to Lanus and the Primera Division to begin the 2008-09 season.
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Photo courtesy of Columbus Crew SC Communications
