LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Louisville City FC announced on Friday it had signed former MLS defender Shaun Francis for the 2018 season, pending league and federation approval. The Jamaican international joins the club after featuring for both the San Jose Earthquakes and Montreal Impact last season.

“Delighted to be able to sign someone of Shaun’s caliber,” said Louisville Head Coach James O’Connor. “Really pleased with his attitude and his quality, and we’re very excited to have somebody like that on board.”

Francis has made 11 appearances for Jamaica, including being part of the Reggae Boyz’s squad that reached the final of the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where he competed alongside Louisville midfielder Devon “Speedy” Williams. The 31-year-old found the net in Jamaica’s 2-1 victory against Canada in last year’s tournament for the third goal of his international career.

“I’m excited to be here and want to thank James and Dan [Byrd]. You can see they really care about the players,” said Francis. “The players really trust in this process and we can definitely be a championship team. They push us but you can tell they care about the players first and I’m ready to get going.”

Francis previously played in the USL for the Charlotte Eagles during the 2013 season, where his performance saw him transfer midseason to the Chicago Fire. Francis has made more than 100 appearances over his time in Major League Soccer, with the majority coming with the Earthquakes, where he arrived at the start of the 2014 season.

T2 ADD COSTA RICA’S LORIA: The Portland Timbers 2 made another attacking addition on Friday, acquiring winger Marvin Loría from Costa Rican Primera División side Deportivo Saprissa on loan for the 2018 USL campaign, with a purchase option. Loría will be added to T2’s roster pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 visa, in addition to league and federation approval.

A native of San Jose, Costa Rica, the 20-year-old Loría has made 10 appearances since his professional debut at the club as a 16-year-old, when he started alongside current Portland Timbers midfielder David Guzmán in a 1-1 draw against C.S. Cartaginés on Nov. 24, 2013. Loría was part of the Saprissa side that won the 2016-17 Invierno, 2014-15 Torneo de Invierno, the 2013-14 Torneo de Verano and the 2013 Copa Costa Rica.

“Marvin provides us another quality attacking option as we look to complete our USL roster for the upcoming season,” said Nick Mansueto, assistant general manager for the Timbers. “He is a younger player from the region, and we have been monitoring his development over the past year. Marvin will have the opportunity to continue his development in our system as a creative player that can play multiple positions, bringing our roster flexibility and choices in the attack.”

PENN ADDS PDL STANDOUT: Penn FC announced it had signed former New York Red Bulls U23 forward Fabio De Sousa, bringing the former PDL standout to Harrisburg for his first professional season this spring.

De Sousa made 13 appearances for the Red Bulls U23 a season ago, notching three goals and three assists as the side finished top of the Mid Atlantic Division to earn a trip to the 2017 PDL Playoffs.

Collegiately, De Sousa featured prominently for Rutgers University-Newark over the past two seasons and earned United Soccer Coaches Division III All-American First Team honors last fall after scoring 18 goals and seven assists in 2017. De Sousa led the Scarlet Raiders in scoring in both of his seasons at the school, helping the team win more than 20 games each year while leading it to its first New Jersey Athletic Conference title in 2017.

SCHULTZ SIGNS WITH LOS DOS: The LA Galaxy II announced the club had signed defender Nate Shultz, with the 22-year-old having been previously selected by the LA Galaxy with the 48th pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft from the University of Akron.

“Nate possesses all the qualities to be a high level right back,” said LA Galaxy II Head Coach Mike Muñoz. “He’s comfortable on the ball, makes good decisions, wants to get forward in the attack and has a great work rate. He will be challenged at this level defensively and we are excited to see how he develops in the USL.”

Schultz spent four years at the University of Akron, where he accumulated 60 starts in his career and was named to the USC Second Team All-Great Lakes Region and Second Team All-Mid American Conference during his senior season. A product of Mayfield, Ohio, Schultz played club soccer for Internationals SC of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy and for Mayfield High School prior to his time with the Zips.