Reno 1868 FC Adds Depth at Forward Ahead of USL Roster Freeze

By Aldo Amato, 09/14/18, 2:45PM PDT

RENO, Nev. – Reno 1868 FC has signed two forwards ahead of Friday’s USL roster freeze, the club announced Friday afternoon.

Forwards Jochen Graf and Sidney Rivera are expected to join the playoff contender next week.

Graf will join Reno on loan from the Tampa Bay Rowdies while Rivera will sign as free agent pending league and federation approval.

“Unfortunately, we’ve had a couple of injuries at the striker position, so we felt like we needed to add a little depth there,” Reno head coach Ian Russell said Friday. “(Rivera) is a younger player that we feel like has upside and we wanted to bring him in to have a good look at him.

“(Graf) is a player with a little bit more experience and I feel like he could help out the team both in the locker room and on the field as well.”

Rivera joins 1868 FC after a recent stint with Atlantic City FC where he scored six goals in seven appearances. Prior to the young forward’s time with Atlantic City, Rivera spent time with Puerto Rico FC where he scored five goals over two seasons.

Rivera is a former third round (63rd overall) selection by Orlando City FC in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft.

Graf is in his first season with Tampa Bay where he’s made four appearances. Prior to joining Tampa Bay, Graf scored 11 goals in 2017 for the Rochester Rhinos. Graf spent a significant amount of time for various Swedish sides before joining the USL.

Reno 1868 FC resumes action Saturday against LA Galaxy II on “Noche Latina” presented by Toro Law. Kickoff for that match is set for 6:45 p.m. at Greater Nevada Field.

Tickets can be purchased at Reno1868FC.com/tickets or at the Greater Nevada Field ticket office.

Sidney Rivera

Name: Sidney Rivera

Position: Forward

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 185 lbs.

Date of Birth: Nov. 15, 1993

Age: 24

Hometown: Staten Island, New York

Country: United States

Last Club: Atlantic City FC

How Acquired: Free Agent Signing on Sept. 14, 2018