Indy Eleven Boosts Attack with Signing of Guinean International Forward Souleymane Youla
Published on June 11, 2016 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
Indy Eleven News Release
INDIANAPOLIS - Indy Eleven continued to bolster its roster with valuable experience with today's signing of Guinean international forward Souleymane Youla. Per club policy, financial details of the contract that brings Youla to Indy Eleven will not be released.
"I'm very happy to come to Indianapolis to join a very good club in Indy Eleven," said Youla. "I'm looking forward to scoring goals for this team and believe we can bring a championship to our fans this year. When I visited last month I really liked the city and thought there was great leadership within the club, so I'm excited to see what the future holds here."
Having arrived in Indianapolis on Friday and with his international transfer certificate cleared, Youla will be eligible for selection for Indy Eleven when it shoots for the NASL Spring Season title tonight against the Carolina RailHawks at IUPUI's Carroll Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET kickoff, live on WISH-TV, ONE World Sports & www.oneworldsports.com).
"The signing of Youla is a continuation of the club's approach of bringing in experienced, proven players that are expected to produce results," said Indy Eleven head coach Tim Hankinson. "What we saw in Youla when we brought him in last month is a player who is dangerous in and around the goal area and can finish in a multitude of ways."
The well-traveled Youla has spent most of his 17 professional seasons playing for top division teams in Belgium, Turkey and France, including with some of those countries' most recognizable clubs such as Lille (France), Anderlecht (Belgium) and Besiktas (Turkey). The 34-year-old forward most recently played for Hungarian First Division side Budapast Honved FC, having scored 14 goals in 55 appearances. Throughout his career, Youla has scored 108 goals in more than 350 matches across various competitions.
"While the club has shown improvement on the field this season, we felt it was important to add one more attacking threat to round out the squad," said Indy Eleven president Jeff Belskus. "With the team that's been assembled, we believe all the tools we need to compete for The Championship this season are now in place."
Youla also made 33 appearances for the Guinean Men's National Team at the senior level, scoring 11 goals. While a native of Guinea, Youla also gained Turkish citizenship in recent years, having spent nine seasons playing in the country.
Tickets for tonight's pivotal match at Carroll Stadium against Carolina, Indy Eleven's June 26 friendly vs. Pachuca and all other games at "The Mike" in 2016 are available for as little as $11 and can be purchased online at www.IndyEleven.com or by calling 317-685-1100 (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. ET).
North American Soccer League Stories from June 11, 2016
- Indy Pulls off "Miracle at the Mike" to Move into First Place - NASL
- Minnesota United Finishes Spring Season with 3-1 Win - Minnesota United FC
- Improbable 4-1 Victory Puts Indy Eleven on Cusp of Spring Season Title - Indy Eleven
- Haworth Free-Kick Earns Crucial Point in Spring Season Finale - Ottawa Fury FC
- RailHawks Downed by Indy Eleven - North Carolina FC
- Rowdies End Spring Season with 1-1 Draw against Jacksonville Armada - Tampa Bay Rowdies
- Short-Handed Armada Draws, 1-1, with Rowdies in Spring Finale - Jacksonville Armada FC
- Eddies Host Strikers in Spring Season Finale at Clarke Field - FC Edmonton
- Indy Eleven Boosts Attack with Signing of Guinean International Forward Souleymane Youla - Indy Eleven
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
