FRISCO, Texas (Wednesday, Dec. 14) – FC Dallas has signed 20-year-old Ecuadorian left back, Aníbal Chalá pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and ITC.

“We’ve been watching him for about a year and when you come up with a player like this, who has been with his youth national team and you have an opportunity to grab him, you grab him,” FC Dallas Technical Director Fernando Clavijo said. “This was an area we needed to improve and bring someone in, so it was easy for us to make the decision. There were a lot of teams after him but when you have a countryman like Carlos Gruezo, it will be easier for him to get adjusted. The fans are really going to be excited when they see him play.”

Since 2013, when he was just 16, Chalá has logged nearly 9,500 minutes in 116 league appearances for Ecuadorian first division side El Nacional. The left back found the back of the net twice in 2016. He was also a member of the Ecuadorian Under-20 side in 2015.

Name: Aníbal Chalá

Position: Defender

DOB: May 9, 1996 (20)

Birthplace: Mira, Ecuador

Hometown: Mira, Ecuador

Height: 5-10

Weight: 157

Nationality: Ecuador

Transaction: FC Dallas signs Aníbal Chalá for the 2017 season.