Arizona United Arizona United Soccer Club signs Long Tan

PEORIA, Ariz. (Friday, July 11, 2014) — Arizona United Soccer Club is pleased to announce the signing of forward Long Tan, pending USL PRO and USSF approval. Tan will be part of the traveling squad for Arizona United SC’s match against Orange County Blues FC on Saturday that will be streamed on arizonaunited.com at 7 p.m. PT.

“We couldn’t be happier to have Long Tan join our organization,” Arizona United Soccer Club head coach Michael Dellorusso said. “He is a dynamic, attacking player, who has shown that he can score goals. He will fit in very well with the way we play and we look forward to him making an immediate impact.”

Tan, 26, joins Arizona United SC after appearing in seven matches for the Chinese Football Associations Super League’s Harbin Yiteng FC.

Born in Dalian, Liaoning, Tan played for the Shanghai United FC U-18’s before he made his professional debut for Pudong Zubon F.C. in 2007-08, where he made appeared in 16 matches and scored 6 goals. Tan moved to the United States and joined the Premier Development League’s Atlanta Blackhawks in 2009 and amassed seven goals in 12 matches.

Tan joined FC Tampa Bay of the USSF Division 2 Professional League in 2010. Tan played one season in Florida, and logged over 1,700 minutes, and 3 goals in 25 appearances. His rights were traded to Major League Soccer’s Vancouver Whitecaps and he proceeded to make his MLS debut on March 26, 2011, becoming the first Chinese-born to play in an MLS match. In two seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps, Tan appeared in 17 matches and notched one goal. Tan was traded to D.C. United midway through the 2012 MLS season and made six appearances before he joined USL PRO’s Oralndo City SC in 2013. In his lone season in Orlando, Tan appeared in 25 matches and scored six goals.

In a unique twist, Tan will be playing for the only professional soccer team in America owned 100% by a Chinese-American, Kyle Eng. Eng, whose father was born in China, commented “To be clear our first priority was to sign a high-caliber player to help our team make the playoffs, and Long Tan fits that bill. For that player be Long, and for him to be from China, is an added bonus of cultural pride for me.”

For more information regarding Arizona United SC or to purchase tickets go online at arizonaunited.com. Fans and media can also follow the team on Facebook facebook.com/ArizonaUnitedSoccer or Twitter @AZUnitedSC

Full Name: Long Tan

Date of Birth: April 1, 1988

Hometown: Dalian, China

Former club: Harbin Yiteng

Height: 6-1

Weight: 170

Position: Forward

Country: China