FC Dallas have found their forward.
The club announced on Thursday that it has officially signed 22-year-old Paraguayan striker Cristian Colman to as a Young Designated Player, pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate.
Goal.com first broke the news on Jan. 16, reporting that Dallas paid a transfer fee of more than $2 million to beat out Liga MX’s Club Leon, Argentine side Lanus, and Brazilian outfits Sao Paulo and Gremio to sign Colman from Paraguayan team Nacional.
Colman scored 11 goals in 31 appearances and 17 starts for Nacional last season. A 6-foot-0, 174-pound striker, he’ll likely line up as a target forward for FC Dallas, who have talked openly this winter about their need to find a hold-up forward. Maximiliano Urruti was Dallas’ primary option at striker last year, recording nine goals and four assists in 30 regular season games for the defending Supporters’ Shield and Open Cup champs.
“Cristian Colman is a guy who will come here and score goals,” FC Dallas technical director Fernando Clavijo said in a press release. “Hopefully, he can help us to win an MLS Cup and a CONCACAF championship. We’re really excited.”
A member of the Paraguay Under-23 national team at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Colman began his pro career in 2014 with Paraguayan club 3 de Febrero. He moved to Nacional in 2015 and has 31 goals in 105 career appearances in his native land's top flight.
FC Dallas |
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<strong>ROSTERED PLAYERS (28 of 28 spots filled):</strong> |
<p><strong>GK (2):</strong> Jesse Gonzalez (HG), Chris Seitz<br><strong>DEF (8):</strong> Reggie Cannon (HG), Anibal Chala (INT'L), Maynor Figueroa (INT'L), Aaron Guillen (HG), Atiba Harris, Matt Hedges, Ryan Hollingshead, Walker Zimmerman<br><strong>MID (9): </strong>Kellyn Acosta (HG), Michael Barrios (INT'L), Mauro Diaz (DP), Carlos Gruezo (DP, INT'L), Jacori Hayes, Roland Lamah (INT'L), Javier Morales, Paxton Pomykal (HG), Victor Ulloa (HG)<br><strong>FWD (9): </strong>Tesho Akindele, Colin Bonner, Cristian Colman (DP, INT'L), Coy Craft (HG), Jesus Ferreira (HG), Timo Pitter (INT'L), Adonijah Reid (GA), Bryan Reynolds (HG), Maximiliano Urruti</p><p><strong>DESIGNATED PLAYERS (DP):</strong> 3 (Colman, Diaz, Gruezo) <br><strong>HOMEGROWN PLAYERS (HG):</strong> 9 (Acosta, Cannon, Craft, Ferreira, Gonzalez, Guillen, Pomykal, Reynolds, Ulloa)<br><strong>INT'L ROSTER SPOTS FILLED (INT'L): </strong>7 (Barrios, Chala, Colman, Figueroa, Gruezo, Lamah, Pitter) <br><strong>GENERATION ADIDAS PLAYERS (GA):</strong> 1 (Reid)</p><p><strong>UNSIGNED DRAFT PICKS: </strong><em>Walker Hume, Austin Ledbetter, Dakota Barnathan, Wuilito Fernandes, Marco Carrizales</em></p><p><strong>OUT OF CONTRACT: </strong><em>Carlos Ruiz</em></p> |
