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Austin Bold FC Signs Midfielder/Defender Amobi Okugu

February 11, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL) - Austin Bold FC News Release


AUSTIN, Texas - Austin Bold FC announced today the signing of midfielder/defender Amobi Okugo for the 2019 USL Championship, pending league and federation approval. Okugo arrives in Austin after previously playing with the Portland Timbers.

"Amobi is an excellent player who brings a warrior mentality to the pitch," said Austin Bold FC head coach Marcelo Serrano. "His experience and fight will be an excellent addition to our club."

Okugo was the sixth overall pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft by the Philadelphia Union, appearing in 117 matches (101 starts) and logging 9,155 over five seasons with The U. In 2013, he started a career-high 32 matches and registered career-bests with three goals and three assists to help guide the Union to a then-club-record 12 league victories. The following season, Okugo again appeared in 32 matches and was instrumental in the club's runner-up finish in the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

The 27-year-old moved to Orlando City SC prior to the team's expansion season in 2015, appearing in 15 games (9 starts) before a trade to Sporting Kansas City in July 2015. Following a brief stint with USL Championship side New York Red Bulls II, Okugo signed with Portland in May 2016, spending parts of the next two seasons in the Rose City. Overall, Okugo has made 147 MLS appearances (116 starts), registering five goals and seven assists in 10,698 minutes played.

Prior to being drafted by the Union, the Hayward, Calif. native played one season at UCLA, where he earned Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and consensus All-Freshman honors and was named to the All-Pac-10 second team. During his standout prep career at Rio Americano HS in Sacramento, Calif., Okugo was a two-time Parade All-American first team selection, three-time NSCAA/adidas Youth All-American, and the top-ranked recruit by Top Drawer Soccer in 2009.

Okugo was a mainstay of the United States Youth National Teams, playing with the U-23 squad during CONCACAF Olympic qualifying and the U-20 team at the 2009 CONCACAF Championships. He appeared with the U-18 side at the 2009 Australian Youth Festival and had six caps with the U-17 team in 2007.

With the addition of Okugo, Austin Bold FC has announced a total of 24 players (Faris Abdi, Clayton Adams, Xavier Báez, Edson Braafheid, DarÃ-o Conca, Thomas de Villardi, Fabien Garcia, Kléber Gladiator, Sonny Guadarrama, Promise Isaac, André Lima, Calum Mallace, Sean McFarlane, Juan David RamÃ-rez, Diego Restrepo, Marcelo Saragosa, Valeri Saramutin, Josué Soto, Jermaine Taylor, Ryan Thompson, Jorge Troncoso, Kris Tyrpak, London Woodberry) for the 2019 inaugural season.

On Oct. 24, the club broke ground on Bold Stadium, a 5,036-seat soccer-specific stadium to be located adjacent to the Grand Plaza at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), the premier destination for entertainment and motorsports in the United States. The stadium is the first soccer-specific stadium built in Central Texas and has been engineered to provide an outstanding experience for both fans and players ahead of the Bold's inaugural Spring 2019 season.

Austin Bold FC is preparing for its inaugural USL Championship season in 2019. Preseason activities are underway, with the regular season kicking off on March 9. Fans can purchase 2019 season and game tickets by calling the Austin Bold FC sales office at 512-655-6300 or by visiting AustinBoldFC.com. For more information about the Bold, supporters can follow the club on Twitter (@AustinBoldFC) and Instagram (@AustinBoldFC) and like Austin Bold FC on Facebook.


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