LANSING, Mich. — Lansing Ignite FC has revealed today the addition of University of Michigan standout midfielder Ivo Cerda to the 2019 roster, pending league and federation approval.
Born in Santiago, Chile, Cerda enjoyed a successful four-year career in the midfield for the Wolverines, recording nine goals and five assists in 66 appearances.
“Ivo was a program leader at Michigan and has excellent character qualities that will make him into a top pro,” LIFC Head Coach Nate Miller said. “He’s a great addition to our team and had a fantastic preseason. He provides an engine in our midfield, balances out the skill set of players we have and fits perfectly into the system we have. He’s a top-quality defender in the midfield, whose quality, combined with his fitness and work rate, makes him a very valuable member of the squad.”
Cerda is the latest addition to LIFC’s roster ahead of the 2019 season, joining Xavier Gomez, Rafa Mentzingen, Christian Silva, Kyle Carr, Nathan Lewis, Steeve Saint-Duc, Kyle Ihn, Rhys Williams, Kevin Coiffic, Omar Castro, Brandon Fricke, Pato Botello Faz, Grant Stoneman, Nick Moon, Lewis Jones, Tumi Moshobane, Mike Kirk and Richi Perez.
“It’s a dream come true to begin my pro career, and I couldn’t be happier to start it in the state of Michigan,” Cerda said. “I can’t wait to kick off the season and give Lansing and this team my all.”
LIFC begins its USL League One campaign against the Richmond Kickers in Richmond, Virginia, on March 30 and against Greenville Triumph SC in Greenville, South Carolina, on April 6. The team will then return home to prepare for its week-long, home-opening celebration. LIFC will hold a celebration in downtown Lansing ahead of the team’s first League One match at Cooley Law School Stadium against the Kickers on April 13, and the celebration of soccer in the Michigan capital will continue three days later, when LIFC faces off against the Michigan State Spartans in the Capital Cup, presented by Sparrow. For more information on Ignite FC, visit www.lansingignite.com [lansingignite.com] or follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram [instagram.com].
