Austin FC signs Argentina’s Pochettino as designated player

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Attacking midfielder Tomas Pochettino has signed with Austin because the Main League Soccer expansion membership’s 2d designated player.

The Argentine transferred from Talleres, a Córdoba-essentially essentially based membership in Argentina’s high division.

“He will provide us spin and flexibility within the midfield and we are assured he’s going to build a straight away impact on our attacking reside,” Austin coach Josh Wolff said Thursday.

The 25-yr-ancient is the 2d South American to signal with Austin as a designated player, joining Decilio Dominguez, a Paraguayan nationwide group forward who had been with Argentina’s Independiente.

The league’s designated player rule allows a membership to verify in to 3 players whose salaries and acquisition charges might maybe presumably additionally exceed the player’s salary funds fee maximum of $612,500 under the salary cap. Each group’s starting salary funds is $4.9 million this yr, rising to $9,225,000 including normal allocation cash and targeted allocation cash.

The MLS season starts April 17.