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Reno Secures Chivas Youngster Galindo on Loan

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 01/31/19, 4:39PM EST

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Lights FC add Camaroonian youngsters; SAFC signs River Plate product; Keniston is Rising FC’s first Academy signing


Defender Benjamín Galindo Cruz joined Reno 1868 FC on loan for the 2019 season after appearing last season for legendary Liga MX club Chivas de Guadalajara.

RENO, Nev. – Reno 1868 FC announced on Thursday it had acquired defender Benjamín Galindo Cruz on loan from Liga MX powerhouse Chivas de Guadalajara pending league and federation approval. The club also announced Galindo Cruz has arrived in Reno and has already participated in team activities.

“Benjamín is a young center back from the Chivas de Guadalajara system who already has appearances with their first team,” Reno Head Coach Ian Russell said . “We are very excited to have him at the club”

The Chivas prospect made two appearances for the first team in the 2017-18 season. Chivas is one of the most successful clubs in Mexico, having claimed 12 league championships.

Galindo Cruz is the son of Chivas legend Benjamín Galindo who made 65 appearances and scored 28 goals for the Mexico national football team. Galindo is now the assistant coach for the San Jose Earthquakes, Reno’s MLS affiliate, meaning the father/son duo are likely face off when 1868 FC plays host to the Quakes in a preseason exhibition on Saturday, February 9 at Greater Nevada Field.

LIGHTS FC ADD CAMEROONIAN YOUTH INTERNATIONALS: Las Vegas Lights FC announced on Thursday the signings of Cameroonian Youth National Team forwards Tabort Etaka Preston and Bin Adolf Enow. Both players signings are pending league and federation approval.

“In this league we need players like them who can really just beat you on pace,” said Lights FC manager Eric Wynalda on his newest additions. “The conditions in Vegas won’t affect them, that’s part of the logic on why we brought them here.”

Preston represented his native country at the prestigious Under-20 African Cup of Nations tournament in 2017 where he was a starter in the Lions’ three group matches. He also has USL Championship experience in his resume having played briefly for the Charlotte Independence between his time playing in Europe, which saw him compete for both KS Kastrioti in Albania and then more recently for MFK Vyskov of the Czech Republic.

“There’s multiple teams in Europe that have him on their radar.  We are very fortunate to get him. He’s going to score a lot of goals in this league,” Wynalda said.

At 18 years old, Enow’s skills and speed have turned him into one of the most promising young strikers in Cameroon. Enow has received multiple invitations to be a part of Cameroon’s famed youth national team camps where he has regularly starred as a goal scoring attacker.

“He has been well versed in big games already, we’ve seen him under pressure, and he hasn’t let anybody down,” Wynalda said. “The thinking on bringing him here is ‘let’s see what he has, let’s see how much success he can have in USL at a very young age.’”

SAN ANTONIO SIGNS RIVER PLATE PRODUCT: San Antonio FC announced it had signed 19-year-old Argentine midfielder Cristian Parano for the 2019 USL Championship season, pending league and federation approval. Per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

“Cristian came in on trial with us at the start of the preseason and impressed the coaching staff,” SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell said. “He’s a skilled player and we’re looking forward to working with him this year.”

The 19-year-old joins SAFC after making his professional debut during the 2018 season with Argentinian first-division side San Martin de San Juan. Prior to that, Parano spent four years in River Plate’s youth system from 2014-2018. The Argentina native originally joined an FC Barcelona academy affiliate in Buenos Aires at the age of nine, where he trained for two years before spending time in the Boca Juniors youth ranks and eventually joining River Plate.

“I’m thrilled about this experience and I’m very thankful for the opportunity that San Antonio FC is providing me,” Parano said. “I will give my absolute best to repay the trust that the coaching staff is giving me, and I hope to help the team reach our goals.”

RISING FC MAKES HISTORY WITH ACADEMY SIGNING: Phoenix Rising FC made its first Academy signing in club history on Thursday with the addition of 17-year-old goalkeeper Brandon Keniston for the 2019 USL Championship season. Keniston is the first former Phoenix Rising Youth player to join the first team. By registering as a USL Academy Player, Keniston can play competitive matches for Rising FC without jeopardizing his college eligibility. The signing is pending federation and league approval.

Keniston spent the last year in Almunecar, Spain, playing for FC Malaga City Academy. Featuring as the academy’s No. 1 goalkeeper, Keniston played against some of the top Spanish youth academy teams: Real Madrid U-18’s, Atletico Madrid U-19’s, Malaga CF U-19s, and Sevilla FC U-19’s. He also had trials with Malaga CF, Marabella FC and Alcegrias FC.

Before playing in Spain, Keniston played with Phoenix Rising Youth in Scottsdale on the ‘01 ECNL Team. In his last year with the team, they won the 2017 NPL Southwest Region championship and went to the 2017 NPL championships in Indianapolis. He played his high school soccer at Chaparral High School, where he was the starting varsity goalkeeper as a sophomore for eight matches before leaving for Spain. 

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