Tag Archives: westchester soccer club

Westchester Soccer Club Adds Three More Players For Their Inaugural Season in USL League One

Westchester Soccer Club today added three more players to their roster for their inaugural season in USL League One. The three, midfielders Bryan Vazquez and Andrew Jean-Baptiste and defender Joel Johnson, join a growing mix of veterans and young, athletic talent as WSC readies to officially open their first season on March 8 in Greenville, SC against Greenville Triumph SC with their home opener at The Stadium at Memorial Park against Rhode Island SC on April 27. All three contracts are subject to approval by the league.

‘One of the key elements of our club will be making sure we have both depth and experience, and our latest three signees continue to add to both areas for us,’ said Simon Baines, Sporting Director of WSC. “All three will fit well into the structure we are creating.”

The three newest players include:

Andrew Jean-Baptiste (Brooklyn, NY) joins Westchester SC with over a decade of professional and international experience, most recently as center-back for Valour FC. Baptiste starred at the University of Connecticut, earning 2011 Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year before being selected 8th overall by the Portland Timbers in the first round of the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. He played in MLS for Portland, Chivas USA, and the New York Red Bulls from 2012-2015, before heading abroad to join Swedish side Ettan Nyköpings BIS in 2016. In February 2019, Jean-Baptiste continued his European career until 2020, when he joined Canadian Premier League side Valour FC, where has played the past three seasons. Andrew has played internationally for both the Haitian National and US National teams in his career as well.

Joel Johnson Alajarín (Torrent, Valencia) is a right-back who spent the last eight seasons in USL League One, most recently for Charlotte Independence last season. Prior to his USL time, Johnson played on virtually every level of professional soccer in Spain, coming up through the club system of Valencia FC before joining Real Madrid C and then with Real Jaénand CD Buñol. He has also played internationally as a member of the Liberian National team since 2016.

Bryan Vazquez officially joins the professional ranks with the club having previously made one appearance as an amateur signing for FC Cincinnati 2 of MLS NEXT Pro during the 2024 season. The 18-year-old midfielder has previously made two appearances for the El Salvador U-20 Men’s National Team at the 2024 Concacaf U-20 Championship.

These are the newest additions to a roster that already include a strong group of Americans with USL experience, including: wing back Kemar Lawrence, fullback Samory Powder, midfielder Conor McGlynn and defender Stephen Payne and a trio of Dutch natives in midfielders Daniel Bouman, Dean Diego Guezen and striker Koen Blommestijn

The club will be announcing several more signings in the coming weeks, as they ready for their initial season this coming April. The full schedule is at https://www.westchestersc.com/

Westchester Soccer Club Announces First Three International Signings For Their Inaugural Season in USL League One


Westchester Soccer Club today announced their first three international signees for their inaugural season in USL League One, Dutch natives Daniel Bouman, Dean Diego Guezen and Koen Blommestijn. The three join a growing core of young, established veterans as WSC readies to officially open their first season on March 8 in Greenville, SC against Greenville Triumph SC with their home opener at The Stadium at Memorial Park against Rhode Island SC on April 27. All three contracts are subject to approval by the league.

‘We continue to look for young, athletic professionals who will be able to play at the highest level in the system we are building, and these three…Daniel, Dean and Koen…are great fits for our plan,’ said Simon Baines, Sporting Director of WSC. “Their knowledge of the game and their level of professionalism will complement the players with USL experience we have already signed, and should fit well in what is quickly becoming a very talented roster.”

The three internationals include:

Central midfielder and former Australian youth international Daniel Bouman (Blaricum, The Netherlands), who brings significant experience from his time in Australia’s highest division, the A-league, as well as time spent in second league Greece and Australia’s NSW, where his club was crowned champions. Most notably, the FC Groningen youth product was a mainstay with Australia’s U23 side, registering 8 caps and 2 goals. Bouman holds both Australian and Dutch citizenship.

Midfielder Dean Diego Guezen (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) has logged professional seasons with Polish I liga club Zagłębie Sosnowiec, PEC Zwolle and TOP Oss and will be making his North American debut with Westchester SC. The 26 year old played in the youth departments of AFC, Ajax, ASV De Dijk and IVV before returning to AFC and subsequently moving to Feyenoord before beginning his professional career in 2020.

Striker Koen Blommestijn (Amstelveen, The Netherlands) Koen Blommestijn played in the youth teams of Legmeervogels , SV Argon , ASC Waterwijk and FC Almere before joining the amateur division of AFC Ajax in July 2019. He made his professional debut in February 2022 for FC Volendam, and has played professionally for Telstar, Quick Boys, and again last season for FC Volendam.

These are the newest additions to a roster that already include a strong group of Americans with USL experience, including: wing back Kemar Lawrence, fullback Samory Powder, midfielder Conor McGlynn and defender Stephen Payne.

The club will be announcing several more signings in the coming weeks, as they ready for their initial season this coming April. The full schedule is at https://www.westchestersc.com/