Strong, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound defender, most recently played for the Ventura County Fusion in the PDL. He scored one goal in six matches. The Santa Barbara, Calif., native recently finished his junior season at Coastal Carolina University, where he played 14 matches with nine starts. He played his first two collegiate seasons at UC Santa Barbara, where he made 20 appearances in 2015 as a true freshman for the Gauchos. In 2015, he was one of just two college players to be called up to the U-23 U.S. Men’s National Team, joined by Jordan Morris (Stanford, Seattle Sounders FC).

“Sam has shown great capabilities, and with the right coaching, he’s going to be a very solid player in the USL,” Smith added. “He’s young and will push the guys ahead of him. He’s big and strong, and pretty mobile for his size and we’re going to use those strengths. He’s got a lot of work and learning to do, but I’m excited for the opportunity to be a part of his development.”

Suma and Strong join Mickey Daly, Agustin Cazarez, Christian Chaney, Matthew Baldisimo, Terran Campbell, Sean Melvin, Rony Argueta, and Zachary Ellis-Hayden on the Fresno FC roster.

Transaction: Fresno Football Club sign defender Sam Strong and forward Lamin Suma to one-year contracts on Dec. 21, 2017.

Name: Lamin Suma Pronunciation: Luh-MEEN Sue-ma

Position: Midfielder

Height: 5-11

Weight: 170 lbs.

Date of Birth: July. 14, 1991

Age: 26

Hometown: Freetown, Sierra Leone

Country: Sierra Leone

Last Club: Sacramento Republic FC

How Acquired: Signed on Dec. 21, 2017



Name: Sam Strong

Position: Defender

Height: 6-2

Weight: 195 lbs.

Date of Birth: Aug. 23, 1996

Age: 21

Hometown: Santa Barbara, Calif.

Country: USA

Last Club: UC Santa Barbara

How Acquired: Signed on Dec. 21, 2017