Black and Red United has learned that Loudoun United FC have signed midfielder Carlos Alvarez to the roster. The 28-year-old is expected to make his debut either tonight against North Carolina FC or Saturday against Indy Eleven.
Alvarez was the 2nd overall pick by Chivas USA in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft and appeared with them and later the Colorado Rapids, and Loudoun will be his fifth USL team in as many years, appearing for the Charlotte Independence, San Antonio FC (where he was the club’s first ever signing), Orange County SC (on loan from LAFC, where he was the club’s first ever signing) and Las Vegas Lights FC. He appeared in 29 games for the latter last year, starting in 28 and has scored 15 goals and assisted on 17 in 100 USL games.
The move appears to have come with a slight cost, as Ariel Fantoni, Jack Jean Baptiste and Omar Milton Campos appear to no longer be with the club, and do not appear on either the team or USL roster pages. Since signing in March, Fantoni had been dealing with injury and fitness issues for his time at Loudoun, while Baptiste and Campos played sparingly, combining for 10 games, 3 starts (the latter were all by Baptiste, a prospect for Honduras who appeared in the U-20 World Cup earlier this summer) and 352 total minutes. The trio had been increasingly squeezed out of playing time by younger D.C. United prospects and given the timing, were presumably given a chance to return to preseason with their previous clubs. With these moves, Loudoun would have 3 international spots that could be used for signings should they choose.
Loudoun plays North Carolina FC at 7:00pm tonight on ESPN3.