Midfielder Eduard Atuesta is staying put in Los Angeles. The 21-year-old, who initially arrived on loan from Independiente Medellin in February, penned a new three-year deal with the Black & Gold after the Club exercised the purchase option.
“I really enjoyed my first season with the Club," Atuesta stated. "We broke the record for most points by an [expansion team] by playing attractive soccer. I felt very confident and happy to have helped my teammates in our inaugural season."
In his debut season in Major League Soccer, Atuesta appeared in 25 regular season contests (16 starts), tallying one goal and two assists in 1,501 minutes. He also saw action in three of the Club’s four U.S. Open Cup matches.
“Our goals for 2019 are even bigger because we already have one year of experience in the League, and the core group of players will be back," he added. "We know we’re capable of achieving those goals and we are excited to have an even more successful campaign next year.”
Atuesta, who came in at number 16, was one of four LAFC players represented in the League’s 22 Under 22 list this year. Prior to LAFC, Atuesta played in 44 matches across all competitions for Independiente since his debut on April 13, 2016. Internationally, Atuesta captained Colombia’s U-20 team at the South American Championship last year, playing in seven of the nine matches at the tournament.
