January 10, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Detroit City FC News Release
Detroit, Michigan – Today, Detroit City FC has announced the signing of defender Alexander Villanueva on a guaranteed two-year contract that will see him in Rouge and Gold through the 2025 season.
Villanueva, age 21, comes in as the second youngest player on Detroit City FC’s current roster but already has amassed nearly 6,500 minutes of professional soccer, coming from 72 starts and 95 appearances between 2019-2023 for the Tacoma Defiance, Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer and, most recently, Orange County SC in the USL Championship’s Western Conference.
He began his youth career as part of the Real Salt Lake Academy before making the switch to the Seattle Sounders setup. Villanueva got his first taste of professional soccer at just 17 years old in 2019 when he made his debut for the Tacoma Defiance, a season which saw him make four starts.
The following season, Villanueva saw his playtime increase to 570 minutes from six starts as he began to make his mark on the club and grow his reputation.
2021 would be a notable year for Villanueva as he claimed a starting spot on the Defiance roster with a return of two goals and three assists over 28 appearances. 2021 would also be the year that Villanueva broke into the Seattle Sounders first team, making his Major League Soccer debut on July 22 in a 1-0 win against Austin FC.
At the start of the 2022 season, it was announced that Orange County SC had agreed on a deal to bring Villanueva to the club and he would instantly make an impact, starting in 32 matches and appearing in 34. At first, Orange County deployed Villanueva as a midfielder but shifted him to a full-back role as the season carried on.
He would return to Orange County SC in 2023, helping them return to the playoffs and contributing in 847 minutes of play.
Villanueva will wear #3 for Detroit City Football Club this upcoming season.
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