USL Austin Bold FC

Austin Bold FC Signs Midfielders Faris Abdi and Valeri Saramutin

Published on August 22, 2018 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Austin Bold FC News Release


AUSTIN, TX - Austin Bold FC announced today that Austin's New USL team has signed midfielders Faris Abdi and Valeri Saramutin for the 2019 season, pending league and federation approval. Abdi is a member of the Saudi Arabian senior national team and currently plays for FC Lausanne-Sport in the Swiss Challenge League; Saramutin arrives from FC Dynamo Saint Petersburg of the Russian National Football League and played four seasons with the Russian youth national teams. Both players were born in the United States and hold dual citizenship.

"We are excited to bring these talented players back to the United States to play professionally," said Austin Bold FC head coach Marcelo Serrano. "Faris is a technical player who plays with physicality and understands the game very well. Valeri is a mobile midfielder with tremendous leadership ability. We are thrilled to have both on board here in Austin."

Abdi has appeared in all three of Lausanne's preseason matches, notching a pair of assists in 135 minutes of play, he will play with the club through the conclusion of this season. The 19-year-old holds dual citizenship, playing for the United States U-18 national team in June 2017, scoring twice in two matches, and appearing in a match with the Saudi Arabian U-23 squad before being called up to the national side and earning a cap against Ghana in October.

Saramutin appeared in 16 matches this season for FC Dynamo Saint Petersburg, scoring once and adding four assists in 937 minutes of play in his first season with the club. Born in Camden, New Jersey, the 23-year-old also holds dual citizenship and played with the Russian U-16, U-17, U-18, and U-19 national teams, appearing in 21 matches for the squads and advancing to the UEFA U-16/U-17 and UEFA U-19 Championship Elite Round each year from 2011-2014. Saramutin started his career with the FC Dynamo Moscow youth academy in 2012, making his professional debut with the senior team in 2016.

Austin Bold FC, led by head coach Marcelo Serrano, is preparing for its 2019 inaugural USL season in 2019. Preseason will commence in February, with the regular season kicking off in March. With the addition of Abdi and Saramutin, the Austin Bold FC have announced a total of five players including Kléber Giacomazzi de Souza Freitas, better known as Kléber, midfielder Marcelo Saragosa and left-back Edson Braafheid, for the 2019 inaugural season. Austin Bold FC will announce additional players in the coming weeks.

The United Soccer League features 33 professional soccer teams in the United States and Canada, with seven new markets announced to begin play in 2019. Austin Bold FC will play its home matches in a 5,000-seat stadium in the heart of Circuit of The Americas, the premier destination for entertainment and motorsports in the United States. Fans interested in being a part of the inaugural season can purchase 2019 season tickets online at AustinBoldFC.com, with pricing starting at $189.

Find out more about United Soccer League and Austin Bold FC here: https://oss.ticketmaster.com/aps/cota/EN/buy/details/19USL. For more information on Circuit of The Americas, visit http://www.circuitoftheamericas.com/.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 22, 2018


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