Andrés Mendoza, a defender nicknamed “Belleza” or “Beauty”, has signed with New York City FC, the expansion MLS team announced Monday.
Mendoza, 25, has played professionally in his home country of Ecuador since 2007 and most recently with CD Maldonado in Uruguay.
“Andrés is an exciting prospect,” NYCFC coach Jason Kreis said in a press release. “He’s young, strong in the air and very athletic. He’s also a good passer which will be a great benefit to us as he can play the ball out of defense.
Mendoza will be added to the 2015 roster pending receipt of his international transfer certificate and his visa. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“It’s an honor to sign for a club that has such high ambitions,” Mendoza said. “This is a big move for me personally and I’m excited to be a part of a roster that is already looking very strong. I’ve never played outside of South America before so this is an exciting sporting and lifestyle change for me and I’m very much looking forward to it. I can’t wait to start getting to know the culture, the people and most importantly the fans in New York.”
