COLUMBUS, OH (January 9, 2018) – Columbus Crew SC made its first signing of 2018 on Tuesday.
The club acquired midfielder Eduardo Sosa from Zamora FC in his native Venezuela. Sosa, 21, joins the club as a discovery signing and will occupy an international roster spot.
Welcome to #CrewSC, Eduardo Sosa! 🇻🇪
➡️ https://t.co/dtiWgDp3vU pic.twitter.com/qB2Y7PzsdF
— The Crew (@ColumbusCrew) January 9, 2018
Columbus Crew SC Signs Venezuelan Midfielder Eduardo Sosa
“Eduardo is a player who at an early age has already proven he can compete at a high level,” Crew SC sporting director and head coach Gregg Berhalter stated in a team release. “Zamora FC is known for developing players and the club has been great to work with. We believe Eduardo has high potential and will fit well into our playing style. We look forward to working with him.”
Sosa already boasts five years of professional experience. A product of Zamora’s youth academy, he made his senior team debut in November of 2013 at the age of 17. Since then, he’s made 59 appearances (38 starts) in domestic competition for the club, registering eight goals and six assists in that time.
He’s also figured prominently into Zamora’s ambitions in Copa Libertadores, South America’s premier club tournament. Sosa has four starts under his belt in that particular competition and tallied one goal.
Over the course of his time with Zamora, the club won Venezuela’s top flight three times (2014, 2015, and 2016). Though they weren’t able to make it four straight in 2017, Sosa saw the most playing time of his career. The attacking midfielder started 33 games across all competitions while finding the net eight times and adding six assists.
“I’m headed (to Columbus) very motivated and hopeful,” Sosa told Carlos Mojica in a Q&A posted to the team site. “I hope that fans can welcome me in the best way and I know that they can expect great things from me.”
Preseason Schedule
The Crew SC preseason officially begins on January 24th at SuperKick in Lewis Center, OH. Two days later, the club departs for Casa Grande, AZ for a camp that lasts from January 26th to February 6th.
They’re also participating in two preseason tournaments this year. The first of these is the inaugural Pacific Rim Cup in Honolulu, HI from February 6-11 with MLS’ Vancouver Whitecaps and two Japanese clubs, Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo and Iwaki FC also participating. Their final leg of the preseason takes them to Charleston for the Carolina Challenge Cup along with Atlanta United and Minnesota United of MLS as well as the USL’s Charleston Battery. It’s the second straight year Columbus is taking part in that tournament.
TRANSACTION: Columbus Crew SC acquires Venezuelan midfielder Eduardo Sosa as a discovery signing.
