CHATTANOOGA, TN – The Chattanooga Red Wolves today announced the signing of Puerto Rican national team captain Nicolás Cardona. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.
Cardona was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The defender moved to Massachusetts to play collegiate football for Assumption College in 2018. He made 33 appearances for the Greyhounds and was named captain in his freshman year. In the summer of 2020, Cardona joined UB Conquense in Spain’s Segunda División B where he trained with the first team and played with the U-23s before moving back to the United States.
Cardona joined USL Championship side Hartford Athletic in February 2021 where he made 21 appearances and scored one goal. Cardona’s performance in Hartford saw him receive his first call-up to the Puerto Rico national team for the Concacaf qualifying rounds of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He made his international debut for Puerto Rico at a a 1-0 victory over the Dominican Republic in March 2021 in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and was named team captain in the team’s 7-0 victory over the Bahamas.
“It’s an honor and a great opportunity to play for Red Wolves,” Cardona said. “The goal is to win the championship. We want to control the games and be the protagonist of every game we play. I want to thank the staff and the organization for this incredible opportunity.
“I just want to tell the fans that I will give my all on the pitch for them. They are very important to us and we want them to feel part of the team. Together we will achieve our goals!
“Nico Cardona is going to be a great addition to the team. The youngster brings a wealth of experience, not only playing for Hartford Athletic last year, but also as captain of the Puerto Rican national team,” said the “Red Wolves head coach Jimmy Obleda. “He shows leadership and the qualities we look for in our defenders and the mentality and the football and all the things we ask our backs to do. looking forward to him solidifying our backline and just adding another element to our strong defensive line.
“As we finished putting together the last pieces of our squad, it became clear that we needed more depth to strengthen our roster,” said Red Wolves general manager and chairman Sean McDaniel. “Nico Cardona not only gives us the professional experience we’ve been looking for, but he also has international caps which we believe will result in a long playoff run in 2022.”
