By RGV Fútbol/Staff

BROWNSVILLE, 16 April. - During an energy-charged news conference, RGV Bravos FC presented the 13 newest members of the team to a packed house of media, local soccer personalities, family and friends at Rudy’s Bar-B-Q restaurant on Thursday afternoon.

The 13 additions include four current University of Texas-Brownsville players: goalkeeper Juan Gamboa (Pace), defenders Juan Nava (Hidalgo) and Enrique “Chicle” Rivera (López), and midfielder Ricardo Rodríguez (San Benito).

The other nine new members include defenders Rubén Ruelas, Mario Zamora and Edgar Gracia; midfielders Misael López and Richard Nyarko, a former UTB player; and forwards Omar Ríos, Wladimir Ayala, Emanuel Harris and Abass Ayembillah, also a former UTB product.

Zamora and Gracia were the first two players ever promoted from the Bravos Reserves to the first team. Both defenders participated on the Blue-and-Gold’s reserve squad in the South Texas Premier Soccer Association’s Elite U-20 inaugural season last fall. The STXPSA is based in McAllen.

Meanwhile, Ruelas played for Guaynabo Fluminense FC of the Puerto Rican First Division during the 2009 season.

All Bravos players are pending USL approval, however, they can participate in exhibition games.

"We have a real good team this year," said Bravos FC technical director Ismael "Moreira" Braga. "It’s a dream, my dream, being continued. We promised to have local players, I believe in the local talent, and that’s what we are doing."

Bravos FC filled 25 of its 26 roster spots allowed by the USL Premier Development League and could add another player prior to or during the regular season, which kicks off on April 30 with a road trip to South Texas rival Laredo.

The 12 base players retained by the Blue-and-Gold for this season are goalkeepers Román Cisneros and Juan Carlos García, defenders Edgar Coria, Reynol Fuentes, Pablo Degollado and Mike Vázquez; midfielders Noé De los Santos, Kendor Vásquez and Edgar Acuña; forwards Damián López, Salvador Luna and Alex Ríos.

At the news conference, the club also presented the uniform it will wear for the 2010 season. Bravos FC will sport a navy blue jersey with white stripes on the chest and also a gold version with white stripes. At the moment, the home kit hasn’t been officially designated. Last season, the Bravos wore a white home jersey.

"The blue jersey is reminiscent of last year’s jersey with some changes in the white-striped details, while the gold is a change from the white jersey," said Bravos FC President and General Manager, Kayan Sitsanthaparn. "The gold represents a change in the direction we want to take as an organization and symbolizes what our goal is, the gold."

The other announcement that was made at Thursday’s event was the team’s second exhibition match of the preseason. Bravos FC will play UT-Brownsville, the three-time NAIA Red River Conference Champion and national tournament qualifier, at 8 p.m. on April 24 at Mercedes High School’s Tiger Stadium.

Tickets for the match cost $5 and proceeds from the game will go to the high school.

Among those in attendance at the news conference was Brownsville Sports Park Director Venustiano "Tuffy" Martínez, Brownsville high school coaches Amadeo Escandón (López), Salvador García (Rivera) and José Espitia (Porter), and McAllen Amateur Soccer Association President José Luis Beas.

For tickets visit www.mtalliancetx.com or call (956) 975-0021.