SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio FC announced on Thursday it had signed forward Santiago Patiño to a multi-year contract returning the 2022 USL Championship Final MVP to the club ahead of the stretch run of the 2023 season. The transaction is pending league and federation approval, and per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are ecstatic to welcome back Santiago to the team,” said SAFC Head Coach Alen Marcina. “He is a culture giver, a mentality monster, a winner and a proven goal scorer. This timely addition of Santiago will assist in our quest to defend our championship title.”

A native of Colombia, Patiño had a dominant run during the 2022 USL Championship Playoffs to lead SAFC to the club’s first league title with five goals across three postseason games. Patiño scored twice in the 3-1 Championship Final win against Louisville City FC, the seventh and eighth goals of his playoff career.

The 26-year-old had previously competed in Major League Soccer for Orlando City SC after being selected with the No. 3 pick of the 2019 MLS SuperDraft. Patiño recorded two goals and one assist across 13 appearances for the Lions. After a stint on loan with Mexico Liga de Expansion club Cimarrones de Sonora, he joined San Antonio prior to the 2021 USL Championship season and has since recorded 19 goals in 34 appearances across the regular season and playoffs for the club.

Patiño’s eight postseason goals are tied for the most in USL Championship Playoffs history, and he now joins an attack that leads the USL Championship this season with 42 goals in 21 regular season games.