As we march towards the March 7th USL Championship home opener against Las Vegas Lights, SD Loyal signing announcements continue to come in. T
As we march towards the March 7th USL Championship home opener against Las Vegas Lights, SD Loyal signing announcements continue to come in.
The club has launched an iPhone app!
A roster can be found inside the app, as well as tons of other golden info for fans. GET THE APP HERE.
Here is your one-stop-shop for every player that has been announced by SD Loyal. This list will be updated as new signings are announced.
Information here is a combination of roster data from the app, social media posts from the club, and intel gathered during interviewed and press events. I will update the roster here as new info is released.
Ashley Nazira
Pos: Forward
Hometown: Pamplemousses, Mauritius
DOB: 11/11/1995
Age: 24
Fun Fact: He’s tall and a bit quiet.
“Avi” Eric Avila, #12
Pos: Midfield
Hometown: San Diego!
DOB: 11/24/87
Age: 32
Fun Facts: Everyone calls him “Avi” (AH-vee), and he’s a really nice guy.
“Bev” Beverly Makangila
Pos: Midfielder
Hometown: Kinsasha, Congo DR
DOB: 04/11/2000
Age: 19
Fun Facts: He’s the youngest player on the team, and none of the guys let him forget it. He’s also picking up English very well.
Carlos Alvarez, #7
Pos: Midfielder
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
DOB: 11/12/1990
Age: 29
Fun Fact: He played soccer at UConn and was selected #2 in the 2013 MLS Super Draft.
Charlie Adams, #6
Pos: Midfielder
Hometown: Edgware, London, UK
DOB: 05/16/1994
Age: 25
Fun Fact: He’s coming to San Diego from Orange County. Will OCSC be Loyal’s biggest rival? Chances are good…
Collin Martin, #23
Pos: Midfielder
Hometown: Chevy Chase, MD
DOB: 11/9/1994
Age: 25
Fun Fact: I call him “Mr. Reliable” in my head as I watch him play. Whenever he’s on the ball, it’s safe to say possession will not turn over to the other team.
Edwin Lara
Pos: Defender
Hometown: Berkely, CA
DOB: 09/08/1999
Age: 20
Fun Fact: Lara was eligible to play for the USA and Mexican national teams. He played for the USA U-15 and U-17teams, then with the Mexican U17s. Last year, he filed a request with FIFA to join USA officially, making permanent his status with US Soccer.
Elijah Martin, #3
Pos: Defender
Hometown: Fresno, CA
DOB: 07/4/1996
Age: 23
Fun Facts: Elijah is a fun follow on Instagram. Don’t let the beard and the beast-mode soccer scare you. The guy is kind-hearted and all smiles off the field.
Emrah Klimenta
Pos: Defender
Hometown: Rozaje, Montenegro
DOB: 02/13/1991
Fun Fact: He turned 29 on the day of the Kit Reveal Party (what a party he had!). You can read more about him HERE.
Francis Atuahene, #10
Pos: Forward
Hometown: Accra, Ghana
DOB: 06/08/1996
Age: 23
Fun Fact: The dude was double-teamed at pre-season matches against Reno and FC Dallas, and he STILL scored.
Grant Stoneman, #5
Pos: Defender
Hometown: St. Charles, Illinois
DOB: 11/27/1995
Age: 24
Fun Fact: So far, he’s the quiet type. We’ll see if that sticks…
Irvin Raul Parra, #11
Pos: Forward
Hometown: Inglewood, CA
DOB: 08/17/1993
Age: 26
Fun Fact: He is a burst of firey energy up top. He will be a nightmare for opposing c-backs, no doubt.
Jack Metcalf, #4
Pos: Defender ^(really? not sure on this one…)
Hometown: Liverpool, UK
DOB: 12/25/1991
Age: 28
Fun Fact: He scored the first goal in Torero Stadium for Loyal.
Jake Fenlason, #24 GK
Pos: Goalkeeper
Hometown: San Diego!
DOB: 02/02/1993
Age: 27
Fun Facts: He’s a San Diego native and Rancho Bernardo High School Alum. He played club soccer for San Diego legend “Quinny,” Brian Quinn.
Jon Kempin, GK, #22
Pos: Goalkeeper
Hometown: Leawood, Kansas
DOB: 04/08/1993
Age: 26
Fun Fact: He went pro right out of high school, signing out of the Sporting KC Development Academy
(I’ll get some action shots of Jon soon!)
Jerome Mbekeli, #39
Pos: Midfielder
Hometown: Ngaoudere, Cameroon
DOB: 09/30/1998
Age: 21
Fun Fact: He’s coming to San Diego from Swope Park Rangers in Kansas City. Safe to say he likes San Diego’s weather much more than KC.
Joe Greenspan, #20
Pos: Defender
Hometown: Westfield, NJ
DOB: 09/12/1992
Age: 27
Fun Fact: He has a tattoo of the Twin Towers, the Statue of Liberty, and the Brooklyn Bridge on his leg. READ THIS to learn even more.
Morgan Hackworth, #2
Pos: Midfielder
Hometown: Winston-Salem, NC
DOB: 01/02/1997
Age: 23
Fun Facts: When I was talking to him after a game one day, I told him, “It is SO HARD to get a picture of you on the ball! You release it so quickly!” He knows exactly what he is going to do with the ball before he gets it. Plus, he looks like “Sunshine” from Remember the Titans, and who doesn’t love Sunshine?
“Q” Qudus Lawal, #20
Pos: Forward
Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria
DOB: 09/04/1995
Age: 24
Fun Facts: He’s easy to spot now that he bleached his hair. Everyone calls him “Q,” and he’s got a 1000 Megawatt smile.
Raul Mendiola, #40
Pos: Midfielder
Hometown: Juarez, Mexico
DOB: 05/18/1994
Age: 25
Fun Fact: He is a HAM for the camera. I know I’m in for a laugh when I want to get a candid pic of Raul.
Sal Zizzo, #8
Pos: Defender
Hometown: San Diego!
DOB: 04/03/1987
Age: 32
Fun Facts: He was the first player signing for Loyal. He played soccer for UCLA and left early to go pro in Germany. He’s living in Chula Vista with his wife and family.
Suleiman “Suli” Samura, #16
Pos: Midfielder
Hometown: Freetown, Sierra Leone
DOB: 06/26/1997
Age: 22
Fun Fact: Suli, in my opinion, is going to be a fan favorite among kids especially. Once they get to know him, they’ll see what a kind heart he has and what an amazing soccer player he is.
Tumi Moshobane, #15
Pos: Midfielder
Hometown: Soweto, South Africa
DOB: 09/17/1994
Age: 25
Fun Fact: Tumi has ditched the ‘stache you see in his old headshot.
Yair Jaen, #14
Pos: Midfielder
Hometown: Panama City, Panama
DOB: 03/16/1997
Age: 22 (not for long!)
Fun Fact: Yair (YAH-eer) is a defender’s absolute nightmare. When I watched him play against FC Dallas, his defender’s only option to stop him was to grab him with both arms to try to yank him down (that still didn’t work). He’s working hard at learning English. When you see him, tell him “VERY GOOD, Yair!”
More players coming soon!
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