Texas Border Business
EDINBURG, Texas – Rio Grande Valley FC announced today the signing of Venezuelan defender Gabriel Benitez to the club’s 2023 USL Championship roster. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.
Benitez adds experience to the Toros’ back line, arriving with more than 10 years of top-tier playing experience at Liga FUTVE in his home country. The 6-foot-2 left-back logged 161 appearances in Liga FUTVE between 2012 and 2022. He has also competed in continental club competitions, making five appearances in the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores and 10 appearances in the CONMEBOL Copa Sudamericana with three separate clubs: Deportivo Anzoategui SC (2016), Zulia FC (2019) and his most recent club Deportivo Tachira (2022).
The 29-year-old has also competed at the senior international level, making his debut for Venezuela in 2019 during an exhibition against Trinidad and Tobago. This past season, Benitez made 28 appearances overall for Deportivo Tachira across Liga FUTVE and the Copa Libertadores, notching one goal and one assist in 1,992 minutes of action.
TRANSACTION: Rio Grande Valley FC signs defender Gabriel Benitez
| PLAYER PROFILE |
| FULL NAME: Gabriel Benitez |
| DATE OF BIRTH: Sept. 30, 1993 |
| HEIGHT: 6’2” |
| BIRTHPLACE: Caracas, Venezuela |
| HOMETOWN: Caracas, Distrito Capital Venezuela |
| PREVIOUS CLUB: Deportivo Tachira |
| FIFA NATIONALITY: Venezuela |
ABOUT RIO GRANDE VALLEY FC
The Rio Grande Valley FC Toros (RGV FC) enter their eighth season in the United Soccer League (USL) Championship in 2023. The club plays at H-E-B Park, a state-of-the-art soccer specific stadium that holds 9,700 people, the club trains in H-E-B Park’s world class training facility adjacent to the stadium.
