LEAL APPEARED FOR COSTA RICA IN 2019 CONCACAF GOLD CUP
NASHVILLE – Nashville Soccer Club announced another big Major League Soccer signing on Thursday afternoon. The club has acquired Costa Rican winger Randall Leal from Deportivo Saprissa for its inaugural Major League Soccer team in 2020. The attacker is the seventh player signed to play for Nashville next season in MLS and will join Nashville SC in January of 2020.
“I am very excited and honored to join Nashville SC, and I cannot wait to get there and start working hard for the club,” said Leal. “I want to make a difference on and off the field as I continue to hopefully grow both as a player and as a person, and Nashville offers the level of ambition and eagerness to do things right that will allow me to accomplish both goals.”
Leal, just 22 years old, is already a mainstay in the Costa Rica National Team roster, making 13 of the last 14 matchday squads for Los Ticos. He made his Costa Rica senior team debut in 2018 as a 21-year-old and has earned 11 caps. At the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Leal made three appearances and two starts in Costa Rica’s run before falling to Mexico on penalties in the Quarterfinals. Leal has been named to the Costa Rican national team for its friendlies this weekend including Friday night’s match against Uruguay.
“Randall is an exciting young attacking midfielder with bags of potential,” said Nashville SC General Manager Mike Jacobs. “He has the ability to influence matches in a variety of ways and has demonstrated that caliber on both the domestic and international stage.”
Leal plays domestically for Saprissa, historically the top club in Liga Promérica in Costa Rica. Since joining in 2018, Leal has made 38 appearances scoring six goals and adding six assists. In February, Leal made two substitute appearances for Saprissa in their two-legged CONCACAF Champions League tie against Liga MX side Tigres UANL.
In Saprissa’s current season, the Primera División Apertura, Leal has started seven of the club’s eight matches, totaling two goals and two assists as Saprissa has gone 4-2-2 to start their campaign.
In Nashville, Leal will join recently announced Designated Player Hany Mukhtar, as well as Panamanian international Aníbal Godoy, Ghanaian international David Accam, U.S. Men’s Youth international Derrick Jones, English forward Cameron Lancaster and Mexican forward Daniel Ríos.
Tickets to see Nashville Soccer Club in action next year in its inaugural season in Major League Soccer are available now, starting at just $25 a match.
