CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The Chattanooga Red Wolves today announced the signing of Puerto Rican national team captain Nicolás Cardona. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.

Cardona was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The defender moved to Massachusetts to play soccer collegiately for Assumption College in 2018. He made 33 appearances for the Greyhounds and was named captain his junior year. In the summer of 2020, Cardona joined UB Conquense in the Spanish Segunda División B where he trained with the first team and played with the U-23s before a move back stateside.

Cardona joined USL Championship side Hartford Athletic in February of 2021 where he made 21 appearances and scored one goal. Cardona’s performance in Hartford saw him receive his first call up to the Puerto Rico National team for the Concacaf qualifying rounds of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He made his international debut for Puerto Rico in a 1–0 win over the Dominican Republic in March of 2021 during 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and was named team captain in the team's 7-0 win over the Bahamas.

“It’s an honor and a great opportunity to play for the Red Wolves,” said Cardona. “The goal is to win the league. We want to control the games and be the protagonist in each game we play. I want to thank the staff and the organization for this amazing opportunity.” 

“I just want to say to the fans that I will give everything on the pitch for them. They are very important to us and we want them to feel part of the team. Together we will reach our goals!”

“Nico Cardona is going to be a great addition to the team. The young man brings a wealth of experience, not just playing for Hartford Athletic last year but also as the captain of the Puerto Rican national team,” said Red Wolves Head Coach, Jimmy Obleda. “He displays leadership and the qualities that we look for in our defenders and also the mentality and the soccer and everything that we ask our backs to do. We are looking forward to him solidifying our back line and just adding another piece to our solid defensive line.”

“As we finish putting the final pieces together on our team it became clear we needed additional depth to strengthen our roster,” said Red Wolves GM & President, Sean McDaniel. “Nico Cardona not only gives us the professional experience we have been looking for but he also has international caps that we believe will translate to a deep playoff run in 2022.”