PHOENIX – Phoenix Rising FC announced on Friday the club had signed defender Alejandro Fuenmayor, bolstering its defensive corps ahead of the 2023 USL Championship season. The signing is pending league and federation approval.

Fuenmayor joins Phoenix having spent the 2022 Championship season with Oakland Roots SC, where he made 29 appearances and logged 2,422 minutes of action while helping the side to a second consecutive trip to the USL Championship Playoffs. The 26-year-old led Roots SC with 60 interceptions and 36 tackles won defensively while also notching 89 clearances and 16 blocked shots over the campaign, while also notching three assists for the side.

“Alejandro is someone I know well that can bring some continuity to the project,” said Rising FC Head Coach Juan Guerra. “His style of play matches what we are trying to implement here next season. He is a ball-playing center back. He is aggressive off the ball. Alejandro has a great presence in the locker room as well.”

A native of Maracaibo, Zulia, Fuenmayor had previously competed in the United States for Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo FC, with which he won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the 2018 season. He made 46 appearances for the Dynamo across all competitions, including 38 regular season appearances in MLS, notching three goals and two assists.

“My expectations for the 2023 season is to win a championship,” said Fuenmayor. “That is the most important thing for this group. We have a great coach, a great team and a great organization. I’ll give it my all to help the team get as far as possible.”

Fuenmayor had previously competed in his native Venezuela for Carabobo FC, where he made 46 appearances in the top flight across the regular season and playoffs. Overall, he has made 127 appearances in the professional ranks, recording more than 10,000 minutes of action.