By FRANCO PANIZO
The midfield overhaul in Philadelphia continues.
The Union announced on Thursday that they have signed veteran French midfielder Vincent Nogueira, who joins the club from Ligue 1 side FC Sochaux. Nogueira is expected to join Philadelphia for the next phase of its preseason in Florida. He will occupy an international roster spot.
“We’re very happy to have finalized the deal with Vincent and are looking forward to him joining his teammates in Florida for preseason,” said Union head coach John Hackworth in a statement. “As a player who has captained a club like Sochaux for several years, we think he brings a lot of quality to our club individually and can be an important piece for our club going forward.”
Nogueira, 26, joined Sochaux in 2007 and has been a regular ever since. He was Sochaux’s longest-tenured player before leaving, and scored the equalizer in a 1-1 draw with AC Ajaccio last week.
In total, Nogueira scored six times in 115 Ligue 1 appearances. He also helped Sochaux capture the Coupe de France in 2007.
The 5-foot-6, 134-pound Nogueira joins a revamped Union midfield that includes mainstays like Brian Carroll and Sebastien Le Toux and recent signings Maurice Edu and Cristian “Chaco” Maidana.
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