San Antonio FC signed defender Joshua Yaro for the 2019 USL Championship season pending league and federation clearance, the club announced today. Per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Originally drafted in the first round (second overall) by the Philadelphia Union in the 2016 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, Yaro made 17 appearances totaling 1,326 minutes in his rookie season while helping the club make the MLS playoffs. Overall in his professional career, Yaro has made 41 total appearances between the Union and the Bethlehem Steel – the Union’s USL Championship affiliate -- tallying 3,204 minutes while receiving just four yellow cards. The defender was a Generation Adidas athlete, becoming one of seven selections of the 2016 class.

“We are excited to have Joshua join us for the 2019 season,” said SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell. “He is an extremely talented center-back with good one-vs-one defending skills and is very quick. Obviously, he has great experiences with Georgetown and with the Union, so we look forward to having him join us in San Antonio.”

Born in Ghana, Yaro played college soccer at Georgetown University for three seasons from 2013-15. Following his junior and final season with the Hoyas, Yaro was named the Big East Defender of the Year and an NSCAA First-Team All American. The 24-year-old was named the college Player of the Year by TopDrawerSoccer.com in 2014 following his sophomore season. While in college, Yaro also played for the Baltimore Bohemians in the USL PDL (now USL League Two).

“This is an organization that has a dream and is working hard to make that dream come true,” said Yaro. “This is a great club with great people that I am excited to work with. I’m looking forward to start working to achieve our goals this season.”

Following the transaction, the San Antonio FC roster currently stands at 12.

San Antonio FC is currently preparing for the upcoming USL season, and fans can purchase 2019 season tickets by calling the SAFC sales office at 210-444-5657 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).