San Antonio FC has signed defender Chris Christian for the 2018 USL season pending league and federation approval, the club announced today. Christian joins SAFC after spending the last two seasons with Sacramento Republic FC.

Christian appeared in 28 regular season matches in 2017, starting 27 and tallying 2,426 minutes. The defender was a mainstay in the Republic defense and led the team with 83 clearances in the regular season, while adding another 11 in two playoff matches. The 28-year-old added 60 interceptions and 13 blocks over the course of his 28 games, while also scoring one goal and recording an 86.1 percent passing accuracy. In the Republic’s two postseason games, Christian played all 210 minutes before the club was eliminated by the Swope Park Rangers in the USL Western Conference Semifinals.

“We are excited to add Chris to our roster,” said SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell. “He is an experienced defender at this level and he played over 60 games with Sacramento under Paul Buckle the last two seasons. We are happy to have Chris come in and hit the ground running as we prepare for the start of the season.”

The New York native has appeared in 64 matches in all competitions for the Republic over the last two seasons, totaling nearly 6,000 minutes played for the club. In 2016, Christian helped lead the Republic to a first-place finish in the USL Western Conference. Prior to his time in Sacramento, Christian spent time with the now-defunct Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) in 2015 before joining the Colorado Springs Switchbacks (USL) on loan that same season. Christian played in five matches with the Switchbacks, playing 425 total minutes.

“Joining SAFC is a new chapter and it's exciting,” said Christian. “San Antonio has always been a top club. I'm excited to be a part of it and I want to help the team in the best way that I can. Obviously, a championship is always the main goal but we'll take it one day at a time as a team.”

Christian attended Villanova and played four years of collegiate soccer, becoming an anchor in the Wildcats defense from 2007-11. During his time with Villanova, he also spent time with PDL clubs the New Jersey Rangers and the Central Jersey Spartans.

Following the addition of Christian, the SAFC roster currently stands at 22. He will wear No. 13 for the club.

San Antonio FC is currently preparing for the upcoming USL season, which kicks off on March 17 in Sacramento prior to the SAFC home opener on March 24 at Toyota Field vs. Saint Louis FC. Fans can purchase 2018 season tickets by calling the SAFC sales office at 210-444-5MLS or by visiting SanAntonioFC.com. Supporters can also follow the club by liking San Antonio FC on Facebook, as well as following the team on Twitter (@SanAntonioFC), Instagram (@sanantoniofc) and Snapchat (SanAntonioFC).