Strikers Sign Sanfilippo, Frimpong

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers announced Tuesday the signings of former Tampa Bay Rowdies players Frankie Sanfilippo and Evans Frimpong. Per team and league policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Sanfilippo, 33, was captain of the Rowdies for the entirety of his four-year spell in the Bay area. The defender made 100 league appearances for the club between 2011 and 2014 and led the team to the NASL Championship Trophy in 2012.

"We are very pleased to have Frankie join the Strikers," General Manager Amaury Nunes said. "He is a well known and respected player in the league, and his leadership and experience will add a lot to the team."

Comfortable in the center or on the right side of defense, Sanfilippo is a veteran of the NASL and USL. Prior to joining the Rowdies, he suited up for the Rochester Rhinos (2005-2006 and 2010), Carolina RailHawks (2007-2008) and Charleston Battery (2009). The San Diego native was captain of the RailHawks and the Rhinos in his second spell with the club.

"My family and I are excited to join the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, a club with great history and tradition," Sanfilippo said. "The club is moving in the right direction with the new owners, and I look forward to bringing my experience and leadership to the team."

Sanfilippo started his professional career in 2004 with the Syracuse Salty Dogs after finishing his degree in sociology at San José State University.

Frimpong, 25, joins the Strikers after three seasons with Tampa Bay, where he scored nine times in 59 NASL appearances. The versatile Ghanaian midfielder can play on the wing or in attacking midfield.

"Evans is from Ghana, but he played college soccer in the U.S. and professionally in the NASL for a few years, so he is very familiar with the style of soccer here," Nunes said. "He is a dynamic attacking player who can create goal-scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. We are excited to have him here in Fort Lauderdale."

Frimpong started playing college soccer at University of Texas at Brownsville in 2008 before transferring to the University of Delaware in 2010. While in school, he played for Reading United of the USL Premier Development League.

Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire drafted Frimpong in 2012, but he did not sign with the club. Frimpong joined the Rowdies in 2012 and won the Soccer Bowl his first season with the club before establishing himself as an integral member of the squad over the next two years.