PHOENIX – Phoenix Rising FC announced on Wednesday it had signed signed Jamaican defender Damion Lowe. The signing is pending league and federation approval.

A key member of the Jamaica National Team in recent years, Lowe started four of five matches at the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup for the Reggae Boyz and scored the game-winning goal in side’s 3-2 victory against Honduras during the tournament’s group stage. Jamaica went on to win their group and advanced to the tournament semifinals before falling, 3-1, to the United States Men’s National Team.

Lowe also played every minute for Jamaica during the 2017 Gold Cup, where the team shut out three of its six opponents en route to a berth in the Final. Overall, Lowe has made 22 appearances and recorded two goals for his country.

“Junior [Flemmings] and Kevon [Lambert] both know him from the national team,” said Rising FC Head Coach Rick Schantz. “He has played at a high level. He has been successful in USL. If he plays to the level he is capable of… he’s bigger, stronger and faster than almost anyone we have. This creates a rotation for us at center back since, right now, all three of our center backs have been on the field at the same time. He gives us three players for two positions there in the middle, which is important heading into playoffs.”

Lowe has previously played in the USL Championship for the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Tacoma Defiance, making 33 appearances across the two clubs. Originally selected eighth overall by Seattle Sounders FC in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, the club loaned Lowe to Tacoma and Minnesota United, where he made 47 combined appearances in the second division, before signing with Tampa Bay in 2017. Lowe scored once for the Rowdies in 16 appearances before transferring to Norwegian first division side, IK Start. Since 2017, Lowe has appeared in 51 matches as a defender and has scored three goals for the Eliteserien side.