Greensboro Adds 4 New Faces, and 1 Old One

Greensboro FC wrapped up the transfer period saturday with the addition of 5 players. Olindo Loria, a 21 year old Italian midfielder was one of the first to sign. The young middie adds depth to Greensboro's midfield rotation, and shows potential to be a future starter. Next, the Vipers added Valerio Langella, a versatile 20 year old Italian Forward/Midfielder. Langella will come off the bench at the forward spot, and could see increased playing time if Greensboro manager Chris Fields decides to go with the 4-3-3 approach rather than the 4-4-2 he has used the last 4 seasons. The third player added to Greensboro's roster was Jorge Masana, a 21 year old Argentinian defender. The 5 year deal worth 70,000 per season is Masana's first contract. Masana will also come off the bench for the near future, but like Langella and Loria, will be needed for depth and could see playing time in the future. Kealan Shields was the fourth player aquired by Greensboro. Shields, a 21 year old Irish middie, has already played for several seasons and is a seasoned veteran who can also play some forward. He notched 5 goals while playing in 37 games last season for American club Ball Bags FC. Lastly, Greensboro succssfully negotiated with longtime Viper Porter Stookey. Stookey, a 28 year old American midfielder, spent his last 3 seasons coming off the bench and making spot starts for the Vipers, and with the loss of middie Shawn Deacons, should see more playing time this season. Stookey's contract is for the next 4 seasons, and worth 325,000 per season. Along with keepers Veldon and Cherubin, the Vipers additions are 8 strong. Each addition will help the team in their own way this year and in future years, and will be valuable pieces to the Vipers puzzle.