AUSTIN, Texas – Austin Bold FC announced today the signing of French defender Fabian Garcia and Chilean defender Jorge Troncoso for the 2019 USL Championship season, pending league and federation approval.

“The arrival of Fabien and Jorge brings even more of the international soccer flavor that we are looking to bring to this franchise and the Austin soccer community,” said Austin Bold FC General Manager Roberto Silva. “It’s high-level soccer in our own backyard.”

Garcia spent last season with Nîmes Olympique in France, helping the club finish second in Ligue 2 to secure promotion to Ligue 1 of the French Football Federation for the first time since the 1992-93 season. The 24-year-old began his playing career with US Colomiers in 2012 before signing with Ligue 1 club EA Guingamp for the 2014-15 season. Garcia played with CS Sedan-Ardennes in 2015, appearing in 26 matches and scoring two goals, before joining Nîmes Olympique the following year. A native of Colomiers, France, Garcia has appeared in 87 matches and scored four goals during his professional career.

Troncoso arrives in Austin after spending 2018 with Deportes Milipilla of the Campeonato Primera B in Chile. The 26-year-old began his career with Chilean Premier League powerhouse Colo-Colo, helping the club’s U-17 side to the Tournament of Gradisca Championship in 2010 before making his debut with the senior team in 2011. Troncoso started a two-year stint with Universidad de Concepción in 2015, then played a season each with Deportes La Serena and Deportes Melipilla. The Santiago, Chile native has made 97 appearances and netted six goals in his professional career.

With the addition of Garcia and Troncoso, Austin Bold FC has announced a total of 17 players (Faris Abdi, Xavier Báez, Edson Braafheid, Darío Conca, Thomas de Villardi, Kléber Gladiator, Sonny Guadarrama, Promise Isaac, Sean McFarlane, Diego Restrepo, Marcelo Saragosa, Valeri Saramutin, Ryan Thompson, Kris Tyrpak, London Woodberry) for the 2019 inaugural season. The club will announce additional player signings in the coming weeks.

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 and the regular season will kick off on March 9. Fans can purchase 2019 season and match 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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