CARY, N.C. (Feb. 17, 2020) – Adding depth and talent to the goalkeeper position, North Carolina FC signed Brazilian rookie Paulo Pita ahead of the USL Championship season, the club announced Monday The transaction is pending league and federation approval, and no further details were disclosed, per club policy.



MLS' Los Angeles FC selected Pita, 25, in the first round of the 2020 MLS SuperDraft in January following the conclusion of his college career, which included stops at University of Charleston and Marshall University.



“We kept an eye on Paulo throughout his senior year, and when we had the ability to bring him, we took advantage,” NCFC head coach Dave Sarachan said. “He’s pretty mature for a first-year player out of college. His starting point is a little bit further along than many. Technically, he’s got a good presence and demeanor in goal. He has a lot of components that can help him develop into an outstanding goalkeeper.”



Pita, a native of Santos, Brazil, won a national championship and earned First Team All-America honors during his two-year stint with the University of Charleston at the Division II level. From 2018-19, Pita played a pivotal role in helping Marshall reach new heights as a program, as the Thundering Herd in 2019 won the Conference USA regular season and tournament titles, and was ranked as high as No. 11 nationally, a program record.



In 2019, Pita led C-USA in saves (74) and ranked second in shutouts (eight), as he received All-Conference USA Second Team and United Soccer Coaches Southeast Region Third Team honors.



Pita joins Alex Tambakis and Trace Alphin in NCFC’s group of goalkeepers, which is looking to build on a 2019 that included 10 clean sheets.

With the addition of Pita, NCFC’s current roster includes: goalkeepers Alex Tambakis, Trace Alphin and Paulo Pita; defenders Caleb Duvernay, Sam Brotherton, Conor Donovan, Alex Comsia, DJ Taylor and Adam Armour; midfielders Ben Speas, Nazmi Albadawi, Steven Miller, Graham Smith, Pecka, Manny Perez and Luke Hille; and forwards Robert Kristo, Hadji Barry and Daniele Proch.

NCFC kicks off its regular season on Saturday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m. against Louisville City FC at Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park.