New England added yet another potential contributor to its central defensive corps on Thursday by signing Franco Coria from Argentine club Chacarita Juniors.
Coria will join the Revolution pending the receipt of his P-1 work visa. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, as per club and league policy.
The young center back popped onto the Revolution's radar screen during the winter as the club searched for defensive reinforcements. After Coria piqued the Revolution technical staff's interest on video, assistant coach Stephen Myles traveled to Argentina twice to assess Coria in person.
Myles' reports – plus Coria's development in the top two divisions of the Argentine league – encouraged the Revolution to strike a deal and supplement the current central defensive options provided by Darrius Barnes, Ryan Cochrane and A.J. Soares.
“He's only 22 and he's got great experience playing against some of the top teams in Argentina,” New England coach Steve Nicol told MLSsoccer.com by phone from Orlando on Thursday afternoon. “He's strong, he wants to play and he wants to pass the ball. I think he'll be a great addition for us.”
With Coria still waiting for the necessary paperwork to enter the country, it may take some time for him to adjust to his new surroundings and obtain match fitness after featuring just 18 times in Chacarita's first team during the past four seasons.
Nicol said the Revs have seen enough from Coria over the past few months to suggest he will cope with the changes and thrive in his new surroundings.
“We have no doubt he can make the transition,” Nicol said. “At 22, he's got a lot more experience than a lot of the 22-year-olds we have. He's strong and he wants to play. We have no qualms (about the move).”
