COLUMBUS – Columbus Crew SC today announced that the Club has re-signed defender Waylon Francis. Francis is a seven-year Major League Soccer veteran who has made 115 regular-season appearances. The Costa Rican defender was a member of the Crew SC side that reached MLS Cup in 2015 and helped the team earn the title in 2020.
“We are pleased to re-sign Waylon for the 2021 campaign,” said Crew SC President & General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko. “Waylon is a veteran in this League and is someone who has spent a lot of time in Columbus with a thorough understanding of our Club culture. We look forward to his contributions to our team as we look to continue to contend for trophies in multiple competitions.”
Francis played for Crew SC from 2014-2017, before returning ahead of the 2019 season. In 2015, he was named to the MLS All-Star roster and was also named the Crew Defender of the Year. In all, Francis has made 126 appearances (107 starts) while providing 19 assists across all competitions for the Black & Gold. The Costa Rican defender spent the 2018 season with Seattle Sounders FC, making 11 regular-season appearances (five starts), while providing one assist. Francis also made three appearances (all starts) in the 2017-2018 Concacaf Champions League, helping Sounders FC reach the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Before his time in MLS, Francis played with Club Sport Herediano of Costa Rica’s First Division from 2012-2014, where he helped Herediano twice with the Campeonato de Verano (2012, 2013) as well as reach the quarter finals of the 2012-2013 Concacaf Champions League. The defender also played for Costa Rican topflight sides Limon FC from 2011-2012 and Brujas FC (2010-2011).
Francis has earned seven caps for the Costa Rica National Team, making his debut in a 2013 Copa Centroamericana contest against Nicaragua (January 20). The defender was also a member of Costa Rica’s 23-man roster for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
The core of Crew SC’s 2020 MLS Cup-winning roster is set to return for the 2021 season. Crew SC exercised the contract options on eight players from its 2020 roster. With 15 additional players under contract for the 2021 season, the re-signing of Francis gives the Black & Gold a roster that currently features 24 players.
Crew SC's current 2021 roster, listed alphabetically by position, is below:
Goalkeepers (4): Evan Bush, Jon Kempin, Matt Lampson, Eloy Room
Defenders (9): Harrison Afful, Chris Cadden, Waylon Francis, Aboubacar Keita, Grant Lillard, Jonathan Mensah, Milton Valenzuela, Josh Williams, Vito Wormgoor
Midfielders (8): Artur, Sebastian Berhalter, Luis Diaz, Derrick Etienne, Jr., Aidan Morris, Darlington Nagbe, Pedro Santos, Lucas Zelarayan
Forwards (3): Miguel Berry, Bradley Wright-Phillips, Gyasi Zardes
TRANSACTION: Columbus Crew SC re-signs defender Waylon Francis on January 6, 2020.
Name: Waylon Francis
Position: Defender
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 160
Born: September 20, 1990 in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
Hometown: Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
Citizenship: Costa Rica
Acquired: Re-signed by Crew SC on January 6, 2021
Previous Experience: Columbus Crew SC (2019-present), Seattle Sounders FC (2018), Columbus Crew SC (2014-2017), Club Sport Herediano (2012-2014), Limon FC (2011-2012), Brujas FC (2011)
