Reinforcements are continuing to arrive at York9 FC.
The club announced on Wednesday that it has acquired the services of Argentinian forward Lisandro Cabrera, signing the attacker to a contract through 2021, with options for 2022 and 2023.
Cabrera, a 22-year-old from Quitilipi, Argentina, comes to York Region from a heavyweight of Argentinian football, Newell’s Old Boys, having first signed there in 2018. He has played five total games for the topflight club, having also spent time on loan the past two years at Colombian top-tier sides Cucúta Deportivo and Patriotas, and Argentinian second-tier outfit Gimnasia y Esgrima.
The young forward’s time at Newell’s Old Boys, the boyhood club of Lionel Messi, was a notable stretch of his career that drew York9 to him, according to the club. He’s described as a physical player who is also capable of dropping deep in search of the ball.
Prior to joining Newell’s Old Boys, Cabrera played at the youth level for Boca Juniors, one of the most famous and historic clubs in South America, moving to Buenos Aires from his local youth club, Juventud Cooperativista.
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“It is exciting, as another player with the potential to be a star in this league has joined the club,” York9 managing consultant Angus McNab said in a media release.
“Lisandro is hungry and has had a football education at two giants of the game in Boca Juniors and Newell’s Old Boys. He brings top-tier experience from both the Argentinian Superliga and the Colombian Primera A/Liga Dimayor that will be invaluable. Lisandro is very strong in the air and his hold-up and linking play with his back to goal is excellent.
“I think that with Lisandro, Julian (Ulbricht), Lowell (Wright) and Alvaro (Rivero), we have a talented and exciting group of forwards that offer us a number of different ways to play and should give Jimmy (Brennan) more options for 2021 and beyond.”
"I can't wait to arrive and to score many goals for the club".
A special message to York9 FC supporters from our latest recruit!#UniteYork | #BienvenidoLisandro ?? pic.twitter.com/aXeoHjhghR
— York9 FC (@York9FC) November 18, 2020
McNab hinted earlier this week at another young Argentinian attacker joining the squad, and Cabrera would fit the bill on that front.
Cabrera’s signing is the latest in a deluge of roster moves the Nine Stripes have made this off-season, beginning with a long list of released players and continuing with nine new additions to the squad.
Cabrera is the sixth international player currently on the roster, joining fellow Argentine Mateo Hernández, Brazilian winger William Wallace, German attacker Julian Ulbricht, Jamaican Nicholas Hamilton, and returning Spanish striker Álvaro Rivero.
York9’s roster for the 2021 season now stands at 19 players in total.