CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Charleston Battery announced on Tuesday the club had signed 23-year old midfielder Vincenzo Candela for the 2018 season, pending league and federation approval.

“Vincenzo is a versatile player that will bring intensity and quality to our midfield corps," said Battery Head Coach Mike Anhaeuser. “We first watched Vincenzo at a combine in Florida and then at our combine here in Charleston and he has proven to be a player that will help our team in the 2018 season.”

The 23-year-old Candela has five years prior professional experience. A native of Bogota, Colombia whose family moved to the United States when he was three, Candela spent four years in Europe competing for Portuguese side Real S.C., Germany’s Alemannia Aachen II and Belgium’s AS Eupen before competing for Colombian First Division club Atletico Huila in 2016 and Second Division club Llaneros last season.

STEEL FC MAKES TWO ADDITIONS: Bethlehem Steel FC announced it had signed of former PDL standout AJ Paterson and acquired on loan Zambian defender Prosper Chiluya ahead of the new USL season.

Selected in the second round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft by New York City FC, Paterson joined Steel FC as a trialist during the second week of the club’s preseason. A native of Key Largo, Fla., Paterson spent the last four seasons at Wright State where appeared in 76 matches and scored 15 goals and seven assists. Paterson had a breakout season in 2017, scoring seven goals as he was named the Horizon League Player of the Year. In addition to All-League First Team honors his senior season, Paterson was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team and All-Tournament Team in 2016.

Paterson also spent time in the Premier Development League, spending the summer of 2016 with Southwest Florida Adrenaline. In 10 matches with the club he notched a pair of goals in 895 minutes.

Chiluya joins Steel FC on loan from Kafue Celtic FC after a breakout performance at the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup in South Korea, where he helped Zambia a quarterfinal appearance. Playing every minute of the tournament at left back, Chiluya propelled the squad to the top of Group C with wins over Portugal and Iran. In the knockout rounds, Zambia defeated Germany in the Round of 16, 4-3, in extra time with Chiluya all 120 minutes in the win. In the quarterfinals, Zambia was knocked out by eventual third-place finishers Italy.

GHANAIAN YOUNGSTER JOINS TFC II: Toronto FC II announced the club had signed 21-year-old Ghanaian Gideon Waja after reaching a transfer agreement with West Africa Football Academy SC (WAFA SC). The midfielder will be added to the roster upon receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and his Canadian work permit

Waja had spent his entire career with WAFA SC where he made 59 appearances in the Ghana Premier League, scoring five goals. Waja captained the side to a second-place finish during the 2016-2017 season.

To date, Waja has made two appearances for the Ghanaian National team, making his debut on May 25, 2017 in a friendly against Benin. Waja was called in for two 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying matches against Congo in September 2017 but was an unused substitute in both matches. Waja has also represented Ghana at the U-17 level.