By Uncle Tom George
Jan. 26, 2024
COLUMBUS – Columbus Crew 2 have signed Crew Academy midfielder Nicolas “Nico” Rincon to an MLS NEXT Pro professional contract for the 2024 season.
“We are excited to officially sign Nico for the 2024 season, a player with great talent and a tremendous amount of potential,” said Columbus Crew 2 General Manager Corey Wray. “Nico is a very creative, crafty, and exciting player that should flourish in our system. It’s been great to see him refine his game with our Academy’s UPSL squad this past season, and we look forward to his opportunity to continue to develop and positively impact the team. As part of his development pathway, we would also like to thank John Bradford and the staff at North Carolina FC for their great work with Nico prior to his arrival in our academy.”
Rincon joined Crew 2 on an amateur agreement for the 2023 season, after previously playing with North Carolina FC in USL League One. The 18-year-old made two appearances for Crew 2, debuting for the Black & Gold on July 25, 2023 against Philadelphia Union II, as a sub in the 80th minute.
With the Crew Academy in 2023, Rincon competed with the Crew Academy UPSL squad, featuring in 13 matches and recording four goals. On Nov. 18, 2023, the midfielder scored the equalizer against Chicago Nation FC that ultimately resulted in a 3-3; 3-2 penalty kick victory. The Crew Academy UPSL side will compete in the UPSL National Final Four in Irvine, Calif. on Feb. 2-4, 2024.
At the age of 16, the Bogota, Colombia native signed a USL Academy contract with North Carolina FC on Aug. 16, 2022, after joining the North Carolina Academy system in Feb. 2022. He competed at multiple levels of play in North Carolina, contributing to the NCFC U23s and NCFC Academy. He made his professional debut with North Carolina FC prior to officially signing against the Chattanooga Red Wolves on Apr. 10, 2022. Rincon scored his first professional goal on Sept. 28, 2022, netting the game-winner and adding an assist in a 2-1 win over Central Valley Fuego FC. For his performance, the midfielder was named the USL League One Player of the Week for Week 27 on Oct. 3, 2022. From 2022-2023, he played in 12 USL League One matches with North Carolina FC, registering 415 minutes, scoring one goal and adding two assists.
Rincon played for five years in Colombia before relocating to Barcelona, Spain, where he spent nine years with Espanyol. He relocated to Somerset, NJ in 2020 and joined the Players Development Academy (PDA). With PDA, Rincon was voted the MVP of the Allstate Sueno Alianza de Futbol Showcase in New York City, N.Y. in Nov. 2021.
TRANSACTION: Columbus Crew 2 signs midfielder Nicolas Rincon to an MLS NEXT Pro professional contract on January 26, 2024.
Name: Nicolas “Nico” Rincon
Pronunciation: nee-koh-LAHS rin-COHN
Position: Midfielder
Date of Birth: Nov. 25, 2005
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Citizenship: Colombia
ABOUT COLUMBUS CREW 2
Columbus Crew 2 is Columbus Crew’s Second Team, playing in MLS NEXT Pro. A developmental team promoting community involvement, Crew 2 connects the Black & Gold player pathway, which begins with Crew Academy and ends with the Crew’s First Team. Crew 2 plays its home matches at Historic Crew Stadium, the first soccer-specific stadium in the United States. Crew 2 finished the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season with the best regular season record and captured the first-ever MLS NEXT Pro Cup on Oct. 8, 2022. In their second season, Crew 2 claimed their second Eastern Conference championship, earning the right to host the MLS NEXT Pro Cup at Lower.com Field for the second time in as many seasons.
Website: ColumbusCrew.com/Crew2 | Twitter: @ColumbusCrew2 | Instagram: @ColumbusCrew2 | Stadium: Historic Crew Stadium | Training Facility: OhioHealth Performance Center
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