CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Charleston Battery announced Tuesday the club had re-signed forward Mauro Cichero and added defender Tristan Weber ahead of the 2022 USL Championship season. The signings are pending league and federation approval.

Cichero will enter his third season with the Battery in 2022 having previously made 14 appearances for the club over the past two seasons. The Venezuelan was poised for an enhanced role in 2021 before his campaign was cut short due to injury, and he is now looking to make his mark in Battery colors this season.

“It's an immense pleasure to be back with the club for a third season, Charleston has become a second home for me and I'm really grateful for the opportunity to continue another year here,” said Cichero. “It was very tough last year not being able to help the team on the field, injuries are part of the game but you always have to keep going and learn to move forward.

“Thankfully I was able to work with the great medical staff at the club and at MUSC, they helped me every step of the way and I'm very grateful for that.”

Cichero appeared in all three matches during the 2022 Breeze Airways™ Carolina Challenge Cup, showcasing the danger he can pose to the opposition on set pieces and in open play. The 26-year-old scored in the club’s friendly against Coastal Carolina University on February 25, perfectly hitting a first-time volley from an Augustine Williams cross.

“Mauro has a lot of quality in front of goal, he’s clean with the ball and has quite a bit of technique, which makes for a really good skill combination,” said Battery Head Coach Conor Casey. “He's been around the club for a while, understands a lot of these players, and he wants to take over a bigger leadership role this year.

“Mauro has a sound way of communicating and taking people under his wing, he's been a great influence in terms of helping some of the younger guys along in understanding what we want from our style of play.”

Weber joins the Battery having spent the latter half of the 2021 USL Championship season with Las Vegas Lights FC, where he made 13 appearances for the Western Conference club. The 21-year-old made a strong first impression at Patriots Point in the 2022 Breeze Airways™ Carolina Challenge Cup as he provided the assist on Aidan Apodaca game-winning goal Charlotte FC in the club’s opening game of the tournament.

“It’s an honor to sign with such a historic club,” said Weber. “I'm very grateful for this opportunity and I am looking forward to defending Patriots Point with all I’ve got. My new teammates and coaches have been very welcoming from the moment I arrived, they’ve made me feel a part of the Battery family since the CCC.”

Casey likes what he’s seen from Weber so far and sees him playing a key role on the left side.

“Tristan has experience in the Championship from last year, and he has come in with a great attitude and personality,” said Casey. “He's very accurate with his passing, which helps when we're trying to play balls forward from the back. Tristan has very good range, he’s left-footed, and he has a lot of solid characteristics for that left defensive side.”