CINCINNATI – FC Cincinnati have acquired defender Gustavo Vallecilla on a one-year loan from Ecuadorian club SD Aucas for the 2021 MLS season.
Vallecilla, 21, will occupy an international roster spot and will be added to FC Cincinnati’s 2021 MLS roster upon the receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate.
“We’ve made it a priority to add a center back to our roster prior to the start of the season, and we believe Gustavo provides a skillset that fits well with our playing philosophy,” FC Cincinnati General Manager Gerard Nijkamp said. “He is a young player with a promising profile who adds balance to our roster composition. We look forward to Gustavo competing within our current group welcoming him to Cincinnati.”
In the recently started Ecuadorian Serie A campaign, Vallecilla has made four appearances, all starts, across all competitions.
In his career, the center back has made 47 career appearances, including 27 starts, across all competitions since earning his first professional appearance at 17 years old with Deportivo Cuenca. Vallecilla has spent the entirety of his career in Ecuador, having played for Deportivo Cuenca (2016-18), SD Aucas (2019-2021) and Barcelona SC (2020) on loan.
After making a single appearance in each of the 2016 and 2017 seasons, Vallecilla broke through with regular playing time for Deportivo Cuenca in 2018. The defender made 16 appearances, including 11 starts, across all competitions.
Following 2018, Vallecilla joined fellow Ecuadorian Serie A side SD Aucas. In his first season with the club, the defender made seven appearances, including four starts, across all competitions.
The Esmeraldas, Ecuador, native joined Barcelona SC on loan for 2020 and made three appearances in the Copa Libertadores. In total, he made 18 appearances, including eight starts, and recorded his first career assist.
Internationally, Vallecilla has made a combined 21 appearances for Ecuador’s youth national teams at the U-20 and U-23 levels.
FC Cincinnati will return to the pitch for their third MLS season on Saturday, April 17, when the team opens the season on the road against Nashville SC. FCC will officially open their 2021 home slate on Sunday, May 16, when the team hosts Inter Miami CF in the inaugural match at West End Stadium in a nationally televised 4 p.m. game.
FC Cincinnati’s current roster, listed alphabetically by position, is below:
Goalkeepers (4): Cody Cropper, Ben Lundt, Beckham Sunderland, Przemysław Tytoń
Defenders (8): Saad Abdul-Salaam, Zico Bailey, Joseph-Claude-Gyau, Nick Hagglund, Ronald Matarrita, Tom Pettersson, Gustavo Vallecilla, Maikel van der Werff
Midfielders (10): Luciano Acosta, Frankie Amaya, Alvaro Barreal, Allan Cruz, Calvin Harris, Yuya Kubo, Haris Medunjanin, Ben Mines, Kamohelo Mokotjo, Caleb Stanko
Forwards (5): Isaac Atanga, Brenner, Franko Kovačević, Jürgen Locadia, Brandon Vazquez
TRANSACTION: FC Cincinnati acquired defender Gustavo Vallecilla on a one-year loan from SD Aucas on April 5, 2021.
#5 GUSTAVO VALLECILLA
Pronunciation: VY-yuh CEE-yuh
Position: Defender
Height: 6-3
Weight: 170
Birthdate: May 28, 1999
Birthplace: Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Hometown: Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Last Club: SD Aucas (ECU)
Nationality: Ecuador
MLS Roster Status: International
How Acquired: On loan from SD Aucas on April 5, 2021.
