(PHOENIX, AZ) April 28, 2017 – Today, Phoenix Rising Football Club announced the signings of Eder Arreola, Eric Avila, and Jordan Gibbons pending league approval. Per club policy, the financial terms of the contracts will not be made public.

Avila played his college soccer at UC Santa Barbara, where he scored the game-winning goal in the 2006 NCAA National Championship. He began his professional career with MLS side FC Dallas in 2008. From 2008 to 2014 he appeared in 174 MLS matches with FC Dallas, Toronto FC, Chivas USA, and Orlando City SC. Last season he appeared in 30 matches with the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Avila has also represented the U.S. at the U17 and U20 levels.

Arreola played his college soccer at UCLA from 2009-2011. During that time he represented the United States at the U17 and U20 levels, including an appearance in the 2011 CONCACAF U20 Championship. In 2012, Arreola was a member of the Cal FC team who became just the second amateur club ever to defeat an MLS team without needing penalty kicks at the U.S. Open Cup. Since then he has played with USL side LA Galaxy II, PDL side Ventura County, and Armenian side FC Shirak.

Gibbons is a product of the Queens Park Rangers youth academy. He was a member of QPR from 2011-2015 with a brief loan spell to Scottish side Inverness Caledonian Thistle in 2013. He spent a season with English side Yeovil Town and was most recently playing with English side Wingate & Finchley.

 

Player Bio

Name: Eric Avila
Pronunciation: AH-vee-la
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-8
Weight: N/A
Jersey Number: 30
Date of Birth: November 24, 1987
Age: 29
Hometown: San Diego, California
Country: USA
Last Club: Tampa Bay Rowdies
How Acquired: Signed on April 27, 2017

2016: Appeared in 30 matches for NASL side Tampa Bay Rowdies, scoring four goals.

2015: On loan with MLS side Orlando City SC (from Mexican side Santos Laguna) for 21 matches, scoring one goal.

2013-2014: Appeared in 57 matches with MLS side Chivas USA, scoring three goals.

2011-2012: Appeared in 33 matches with MLS side Toronto FC, scoring two goals.

2008-2011: Appeared in 63 matches with MLS side FC Dallas, scoring three goals.

2007: Appeared in ten matches with PDL side Ventura County Fusion, scoring one goal.

2006: Appeared in three matches with PDL side San Fernando Valley Quakes.

2005-2007: Appeared in 66 matches with UC Santa Barbara, scoring 15 goals.

Achievements: Represented the United States at the U17 and U20 levels. … Named 2005 Big West Conference Freshman of the Year. … Scored the game-winning goal of the 2006 NCAA National Championship. … Named to the 2006 All-College Cup Team.

 

Name: Eder Arreola
Pronunciation: ED-er, AH-ree-oh-la
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-6
Weight:
Jersey Number: 13
Date of Birth: November 13, 1991
Age: 25
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Country: USA
Last Club: FC Shirak
How Acquired: Signed on April 27, 2017

2016: Appeared in 10 matches with Armenian side FC Shirak

2015: Appeared in three matches with PDL side Ventura County

2014: Appeared in 11 matches with USL side LA Galaxy II

2012-2013: Appeared in 25 matches with Mexican side Delfines FC

2012: Appeared in four matches with Cal FC

2009: Appeared in six matches with PDL side OC Blur Star

2008-2011: Played college soccer with UCLA

Achievements: Represented the United States at the U17 and U20 levels. … Appeared in the CONCACAF U20 Championship.

 

Name: Jordan Gibbons
Pronunciation:
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-10
Weight: N/A
Jersey Number: 15
Date of Birth: November 18, 1993
Age: 21
Hometown: Bromley
Country: England
Last Club: Wingate & Finchley
How Acquired: Signed on April 27, 2017

2016: Member of English side Wingate & Finchley

2015-2016: Appeared in three matches with English side Yeovil Town

2011-2015: Member of English side Queens Park Rangers. … Went on loan for one match with Scottish side Inverness Caledonian Thistle in 2013.

Phoenix Rising Football Club players under contract for 2017 include:

FORWARDS: Didier Drogba, Omar Bravo, Jason Johnson, Chris Cortez, Mike Seth, Matthew Hurlow-Paonessa

MIDFIELDERS: Shaun Wright-Phillips, Blair Gavin, Miguel Timm, Luke Rooney, A.J. Gray, Alessandro Riggi, Romilio Hernandez, Eder Arreola, Eric Avila, Jordan Gibbons.

DEFENDERS: Jordan Stewart, Peter Ramage, Uchenna Uzo, J.J. Greer, Brock Granger, Victor Vasquez, Kody Wakasa

GOALKEEPERS: Carl Woszczynski, Josh Cohen

 

About Phoenix Rising FC
Phoenix Rising FC is the highest-level professional soccer franchise in Arizona’s history. Established in 2013, the club enters its fourth year in the United Soccer League, which has been awarded Division 2 status by the U.S. Soccer Federation. Major League Soccer (MLS) recently announced Phoenix Rising FC as among 12 applicants being considered for a MLS Expansion Franchise. Phoenix Rising FC played its inaugural match on March 25, 2017 before a sold-out, standing room only crowd in its new, soccer-specific stadium located at the northwest corner of the 101 and 202 freeways in south Scottsdale.  For more information about the club, visit the team's website at PhxRisingFC.com. You can also follow the team on Facebook (PHXRisingFC), Twitter (@PHXRisingFC), Instagram (@PHXRisingFC), Snapchat (PHXRisingFC) and YouTube (PhoenixRisingFootballClub). For season tickets or single-game tickets call (623) 594-9606 or visit PHXRisingFC.com.

 

About United Soccer League
The United Soccer League is the fastest growing professional soccer league in the world with teams in 19 states and three Canadian provinces. Since 2014, the USL has doubled in size and established a sizeable North American footprint with strong ownership, experienced executives and regional rivalries.

In 2016, the USL experienced record growth with a total season attendance of almost 1.5 million, a 33 percent increase from 2015. The average attendance for the league’s top-10 drawing teams was 6,724, a 25 percent increase year-over-year.

Creating an engaging environment for passionate fans, the USL aims to establish all clubs as owners or primary tenants of 8,000-10,000 seat soccer-specific stadiums by 2020. Teams have invested more than $100 million into stadium infrastructure in the last year to enhance the experience for the USL’s passionate fans, 900-plus players and nearly 100 coaches in building a highly sophisticated league.

Expanding its broadcast reach with ESPN and SiriusXM partnerships, USL “Games of the Week” were available this year on ESPN3 to 99 million households. The USL aired more than 500 games last season through its Match Center. Recently, the USL finalized a $10 million investment and partnership with VISTA Worldlink to create USL Productions, which will create more than 1,000 hours of live match coverage for 2017. Additionally, statistical analysis will be powered by Opta – the world’s leading provider of live, detailed sports data – who will manage and deliver in-depth details for all USL games.

Based in Tampa, Fla., the USL supports its teams with operational excellence through 50-plus employees and 16 departments including Analytics, Competition, Creative, Digital, League Operations, Marketing, Merchandise/Licensing, Team Services, USL Productions and more. 

Follow the USL at USLSoccer.com, on USL Match Center, and on social media via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.