2019 Young Player of the Year Spent Parts of Three Seasons with SAFC, Started USL Championship Final
SAN ANTONIO (February 2, 2022) – San Antonio FC has added midfielder Cristian Parano, pending league and federation approval, the team announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. The 2019 Young Player of the Year spent 2022 with SAFC after arriving on loan in August.
“We are thrilled to welcome Cristian back to the team. He is one of the top performers in the USL Championship who consistently displays game-changing abilities,” said head coach Alen Marcina. “Cristian is an exceptional person who demonstrates championship behaviors and will serve as a key contributor to our title defense.”
With SAFC in 2022, Parano assisted three times and scored once in 879 minutes played across 11 starts. The midfielder started and played 84 minutes for San Antonio in the USL Championship Final, starting the break that led to Santiago Patiño’s 70th minute goal in the 3-1 win.
Parano’s lone goal on the season came in the regular season finale, a second-half strike that equalized the match as SAFC went on to draw Orange County SC 2-2.
Parano was with SAFC from 2019-20, scoring 11 goals and tallying 10 assists. In 2019, Parano’s first year with San Antonio, the Argentine midfielder scored seven goals with six assists while being named USL Championship Young Player of the Year.
After the 2020 season, Parano joined F.C. Pacos De Ferreira in Portugal’s top flight before being loaned to PAE Chania in the Greek Super League 2.
With Parano returning, SAFC now returns 12 members of last season’s USL Championship Title-winning squad, including eight starters from the Final.
The 2023 SAFC roster currently stands as follows, with more moves to be announced in the coming weeks:
Goalkeepers (1) – Jordan Farr
Defenders (6) – Fabien Garcia, Shannon Gomez, Connor Maloney, Carter Manley, Mitchell Taintor, Juan Carlos Azocar
Midfielders (5) – Mohammed Abu, Victor “PC” Giro, David Loera, Niko Hansen, Cristian Parano
Forwards (3) – Ignacio Bailone, Justin Dhillon, Kimarni Smith
