Bolsters Defense That Allowed the Fewest Goals in the NASL in 2014
The San Antonio Scorpions have signed holding midfielder Zourab Tsiskaridze. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not released.
“Zourab, a leader on and off the field, is a versatile and experienced addition to our squad, adept at playing in multiple positions who plays with the type of tenacity and toughness that embodies our team,” said Head Coach Alen Marcina. “His playing career includes successful stints in the Russian Premier League, the Superettan in Sweden, and here in North America, so we’re delighted to have him join the Scorpions for the upcoming season.”
Tsiskaridze was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, before the breakup of the Soviet Union, but moved to the United States as a youth and has earned his American citizenship. The 28-year-old is 6’1″ and played as a center back or left fullback much of his career, but in recent years he has been playing in front of the defensive line as a holding midfielder.
“I’m excited to be here, I’m excited for this challenge,” said Tsiskaridze. “The NASL has gotten so much better from when I was playing in 2009 for this league [with the Montreal Impact]. Sometimes players even prefer to play in the NASL because…the NASL is more of a European system.”
As a youth, Tsiskaridze trained with the U-20 teams for Brazilian clubs Internacional and Grêmio Barueri and also had a tryout with Major League Soccer’s D.C. United – all before graduating from high school.
“Z has had an interesting career,” said Howard Cornfield President/General Manager. “I’ve been a bit of a world traveler in my professional life, so I know the value of experience gained working in different cultures and environments. Z is the kind of guy every team needs; an affable leader who will work hard on the field and show some of our younger players what it means to be a pro. He’s a great addition to the Scorpions family.”
Tsiskaridze turned professional in 2008 after having spent time with the reserves of French team FC Sète 34. His career has included stops in six countries on three continents; FC Sète (Championnat National – France), Miami FC (USL First Division), Vancouver Whitecaps (USL First Division), Montreal Impact (NASL), FC Amkar Perm (Russian Premier League), Jönköpings Södra IF (Superettan – Sweden), and Bangkok Glass FC (Thai Premier League – Thailand).
With the move, the Scorpions now have sixteen players on the roster for 2015:
GK – Sattler
D – DeRoux, James, Zea, Attakora
M – Menjivar, Castillo, Forbes, Soto, Cruz, Chavez, Tsiskaridze
F – Elizondo, Hassli, Zahorski, Palomeque
The Scorpions play Major League Soccer‘s FC Dallas in the deeproot Funds Cup on February 28th at Toyota Field. San Antonio will begin defense of their championship when the NASL Spring Season kicks off on April 4 at Toyota Field against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. For information on Scorpions season tickets, call 210-495-8686 or visit SAScorpions.com.
