January 24, 2019
By Sahr Morris Jnr
New ambition and new task Michael Lahoud
Sierra Leone veteran midfielder, Michael Lahoud, is hoping to make history with San Antonio FC, after signing for the USL Championship club, pending league and federation approval.
The American USL officially announced the deal last Tuesday, January 22, 2019, but the terms were not disclosed as per club policy. The former FC Cincinnati midfielder was excited with the move and noted that he was keen on getting started and starts the next chapter of his soccer career.
“I am very intrigued by the club’s ambition to be one of the premier clubs in the USL,” Lahoud told USLChampionship.com. “The ownership and staff want to build something special here and do it the right way. This year, we have a new team, which means new challenges. As an experienced player, I hope to help lead on and off the field as we aspire to make history in San Antonio.”
San Antonio FC Head Coach, Darren Powell, was pleased to have the Sierra Leonean veteran in their ranks. He said: “We are pleased to have Michael join our squad for 2019.He has a lot of good experience in U.S. soccer. He is a midfielder that is effective on both sides of the ball, and we anticipate him being able to impact our team this season.”
Lahoud is joining SAFC with a wealth of experience. In his 10-year career, he has made over 225 professional appearances across the top two divisions in the United States.
The 32-year-old has amassed over 15,000 minutes at the club level, including nearly 9,000 at the MLS level, with Chivas USA and the Philadelphia Union. He made 24 appearances for FC Cincinnati, where he claimed the 2018 USL Championship regular season title.
He also had spells with Carolina Dynamo, Chivas USA, Philadelphia Union New York Cosmos and Miami FC.