OL Reign announced today that it has signed Costa Rican international midfielder Shirley Cruz for the 2020 NWSL season. Per league and club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Cruz, 34, has extensive playing experience under first-year head coach Farid Benstiti. Cruz became the second Costa Rican women’s soccer player to play abroad when she joined Olympique Lyonnais in 2005, where she helped the club win six consecutive league titles and two UEFA Women’s Champions League championships.

In 2012, Cruz reunited with Benstiti at Paris Saint-Germain, where she made 91 appearances and finished as a Champions League runner-up on two occasions.

A one-year stint in China in 2018 saw Cruz win the Chinese FA Cup and the Regional Cup with Jiangsu Suning. In 2019, Cruz won the Women’s First Division with Alajuelense.

“I have worked for many years with Shirley and know she is a special player,” said OL Reign head coach Farid Benstiti. “In addition to her quality she will bring a footballers’ mind and leadership on the pitch. I am very happy to be working with Shirley again.”

Cruz also has extensive experience playing for the Costa Rican national team, having made her debut in 2002 at the Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup. Cruz wore the captain’s armband for La Sele at the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada. Most recently, Cruz made three appearances at the 2020 Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship, including a narrow 1-0 loss to Canada in the semifinal.

"The NWSL is a very competitive league, and I am very excited to be part of such a great team,” said OL Reign midfielder Shirley Cruz. “I will try to do my best to achieve the goals of the team. It will be a pleasure for me, playing next to great players and a coach that knows me well and knows how to bring out the best in his players. Farid Is a coach with great experience—he has won in lots of leagues, in several countries. He will demand a very technical but physical style of play. I have no doubt he will bring out the best in all of us.”