Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced today the signing of free agent defender/midfielder
Zurab Tsiskaridze
(sis-ka-reed-zay) Jr. The former Miami FC Blues player has signed a one-year contract - plus an option - pending international clearance.
Tsiskaridze, 23, joins the Whitecaps after playing the 2009 United Soccer Leagues First Division (USL-1) season with the Blues. In 18 USL-1 matches with the South Florida club, the 6-foot, 185-pound left-sided player scored one goal and added one assist in 836 minutes of action. His only goal came during Miami's 3-2 defeat to the Whitecaps at Swangard Stadium on June 12.
Prior to joining the Blues, Tsiskaridze spent 18 months with the reserve and first team of FC Sète 34, who play in France’s third division - the Championnat de France National.
In 2004, Tsiskaridze began his professional career in Brazil with the U-20 side of Associação Atlética Internacional - a club based in Limeira, São Paulo. He then played the first six months of 2005 with the U-20 side of Grêmio Recreativo Barueri, who are based in Barueri, São Paulo.
A native of Tbilisi, Georgia, Tsiskaridze first moved to Poland in 1990 before moving to the United States in the spring of 2001. It was in the U.S. that he quickly became a standout soccer player at McLean High School in McLean, Virginia.
Whitecaps 2010 season tickets are now on sale. Season tickets include all men’s and women's team regular season and playoff home matches at Swangard Stadium, Nutrilite Canadian Championship home matches against Toronto FC and Montreal Impact, as well as priority listing for Vancouver MLS 2011 in BC Place. For more information on the 2010 season ticket packages, call 604.669.WAVE (9283) or click here.
