RENO, Nev. – Reno 1868 FC announced on Friday the club had acquired a pair of forwards to bolster its attack down the stretch run, adding the Tampa Bay Rowdies’ Jochen Graf on loan for the remainder of the season and signing former Orlando City SC forward Sidney Rivera.

Graf had yet to find the net for the Rowdies this season in 353 minutes of action across 15 appearances since his offseason arrival at the club. The Texan had a standout 2017 season for the Rochester Rhinos, however, as he recorded 11 goals in 30 appearances to help the side reach the USL Cup Playoffs.

Rivera arrives in Reno having most recently played for Atlantic City FC, where he scored six goals over the course of this summer. Rivera was selected in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft by Orlando City SC, during which time he spent time on loan with Louisville City FC and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. The past two seasons he had played for Puerto Rico FC, where he recorded four goals and one assist in 36 appearances.

LOUISVILLE BRINGS MATSOSO ABOARD: Louisville City FC announced it had acquired local standout Napo Matsoso, bringing aboard the former University of Kentucky midfielder for the remainder of the 2018 season.

“Napo is someone that came recommended by [former LouCity goalkeeping coach] Thabane Sutu and has trained with the team already,” said Louisville Head Coach John Hackworth. “He provides depth in a couple of positions where we are thin. He’s in excellent shape and has looked good in his brief training with us and we’re hopeful he can provide depth for us as we close out what is becoming an increasingly important final few games.”

The 24-year-old defensive midfielder was born in Lesotho but raised in Louisville after leaving his family at a young age to pursue the sport. While at the Universit of Kentucky, Matsoso scored 19 goals and racked up 20 assists on the way to earning NSCAA Second Team All-American honors. He was subsequently selected as the 31st pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft by the New England Revolution.

Most recently, Matsoso spent time with Mississippi Brilla in the Premier Development League, the former club of Louisville defender Oscar Jimenez. Matsoso scored four goals and one assist in 10 games for the side, helping Mississippi finish second in the Deep South Division.

ROWDIES ADD CHAVEZ TO ATTACK: The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced the club had signed forward Jaime Chavez, previously of Miami FC, as the side looks to boost its attack down the stretch of the regular season.

“I played against Jaime in my second game in the United States and I was very impressed that night and I’ve been very impressed every time I’ve played him since then,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “With a couple injuries we’ve had, the choice to bring him in was a no-brainer. It’s no secret that we want to score more goals and Jaime can help us do that.”

Originally from Southern California, Chavez grew up in the Chivas USA youth academy before playing for various amateur teams across the Los Angeles area. He made his breakthrough into the professional ranks with the Atlanta Silverbacks in 2014. Chavez scored 20 goals in two seasons with the Silverbacks before making a move to Miami before the 2015 season. He scored 18 goals for Miami across the past two years before adding nine goals in 11 appearances for the side this summer.

“We’re at the point of the season where we need to start scoring goals if we want to make it into the playoffs,” said Rowdies Chairman & CEO Bill Edwards. “Jaime had success scoring goals at other clubs and were looking for him to replicate that here. Our first objective is to make the playoffs and for that we need goal scorers like Jaime.”

PASCALE REJOINS KICKERS: The Richmond Kickers announced the return of goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale alongside the addition of defender Shaun Russell for the remainder of the 2018 USL season.

A longtime veteran of the Kickers, Pascale returns to the club where he made a club-record 304 appearances over 13 seasons in Richmond between 2000-12. The North Salem, N.Y. native also leads the club with 97 shutouts. 

Russell comes to the Kickers after spending the 2016 season at the New York Cosmos B, where he made ten appearances and scoring one goal. He had previously spent four seasons at Saint Francis University, where he appeared in 71 matches and recorded three assists throughout his collegiate career.