SAN ANTONIO -- University of the Incarnate Word men's soccer head coach Chris Fidler has added 11 new Cardinals to the 2019 roster. Tim Talabi, Danny Coronado, Tanner Stevenson, Miguel Velasquez, Kevin Gutia, Pedro Silva, Joe Nelson, Troy Gonzalez, Patrick Becker, Karol Wengzrik and Victor Velasco will all join the Cardinals in the fall.
 
Timmy Talabi | 5-10 | CB | Abeokuta, Nigeria
 

• Played at John Jay High School
• Earned all-district his sophomore and junior year
• Scored eight goals his sophomore year and 10 goals his junior year
• Parents are father Olusegun and mother Olusegun Talabi

 
HEAR FROM TIMMY TALABI
"I decided to attend UIW because of its DI soccer program and I'm ready to test myself at the highest level in college soccer. Also, it has a great academics which I could benefit from."
 
HEAR FROM CHRIS FIDLER
"Timmy is a local kid that I have been following for a while and somebody that I did not want leaving the city. Even for such tender years, he has all the physical, technical and mental attributes to take to college soccer like a duck to water. I am really excited to see the impact Timmy can have in his Freshmen year."
 
Danny Coronado | 5-9 | RWB | Nashville, Tennessee
 

• Played at Clements High School
• Earned all-district first team his sophomore year
• Advanced to second round of playoffs his freshman year
• Parents are Ana Pasarella-Coronado & Julio Coronado

 
HEAR FROM DANNY CORONADO
"I decided to go to UIW because of both its academic and soccer reputation and the coaches showed a lot of interest from me since the first time they saw me. The campus is very nice and not too far from home."
 
HEAR FROM CHRIS FIDLER
"Danny has been on our radar for a number of years and has always excelled at camps. As an academy player with a great skill set, it will be extremely exciting to see how Danny adapts to the college game and I'm glad he gets to continue his development at UIW."
 
Tanner Stevenson | 5-8 | CM | Las Vegas, Nevada
 

• Played at Palo Verde High School
• Scored 10 goals and recorded 11 assists his senior year
• Advanced to state semifinals his senior year
• Graduating with an honors diploma and a 3.7 GPA
• Parents are Kim and Joe Stevenson

 
HEAR FROM TANNER STEVENSON
"I decided to attend the University of the Incarnate Word because I wanted to play in the WAC so my parents could see me play often and when I came on my visit, I loved the campus as well as San Antonio."
 
HEAR FROM CHRIS FIDLER
"Tanner has been on my radar a long time. Tanner has all the tenacity I am looking for in a midfield addition. He's somebody that can control play and is comfortable with the ball at his feet, as well as somebody that likes to get stuck in to a tackle and let their presence be known on the field."
 
Miguel Velasquez | 5-10 | ST | Managua, Nicaragua
 

• Played at Churchill High School
• Transferred from University of Tulsa
• Won the American Athletic Conference twice with Tulsa
• Parents are Miguel Velasquez and Clarys Vargas

 
HEAR FROM MIGUEL VELASQUEZ
"The coaching staff was very welcoming for my arrival and I wanted to be back home close to my family."
 
HEAR FROM CHRIS FIDLER
"I was delighted to be able to add Miguel to our spring roster. He adds a genuine goal threat to our side. I genuinely believe he is one of the top forwards in the country and will be able to push our program on to the next level. I am looking to Miguel to use his college experience and be a real leader in this team."
 
Kevin Gutia | 6-3 | CM | Augsburg, Germany
 

• Played at Rudolf Diesel Gymnasium Augsburg
• Parents are Willi and Inge

 
HEAR FROM KEVIN GUTIA
"I chose UIW because it was the best package for me to connect sports and academics"
 
HEAR FROM CHRIS FIDLER
"Kevin brings something to our midfield that we lacked last year, a true physical presence. He has superb ball control for a big guy and has the attributes to be a box to box midfielder that controls the middle of the park for us. I am confident Kevin can be an immediate impact player for this program and take us to the next level."
 
Pedro Silva | 6-1 | CB | Brasilia, Brazil
 

• Played at Centro Educacional Sigma
• Transferred from Marshalltown Community College
• Earned 1st Team Academic All-Region NJCAA in the 2018-2019 season
• Parents are José Gilmar da Silva and Erli Rosa Rodrigues da Silva

 
HEAR FROM PEDRO SILVA
"It was a great opportunity to compete in a higher level and to continue developing my skills both as a player and a person. Also, I liked the project that Coach Fidler has in mind to make the soccer program even more competitive."
 
HEAR FROM CHRIS FIDLER
"Pedro is a true ball playing center back. He is very comfortable with the ball at his feet, which is an attribute that we needed to add to our defensive unit. Pedro has the ability to be used in a number of positions, which gives me great flexibility in maximizing his strengths for the team." 
 
Joseph Nelson | 5-10 | CB | Dallas, Texas
 

• Played at Centennial High School
• Earned all-district first team
• Parents are Liza Nelson

 
HEAR FROM JOSEPH NELSON
"To help better others as well as myself. I'd like to develop a role of a leader as a freshman and make my mark on the field and off the field my freshman through senior year."
 
HEAR FROM CHRIS FIDLER
"Joe has the ability to play across the back line in a number of positions, which gives us great flexibility but what sets him apart is his ability on the ball and his composure playing out of the back which is an area we need improvement on."
 
Troy Gonzalez | 5-11 | CM | Corpus Christi, Texas
 

• Played at IMG Academy
• Transferred from Eastern Florida State College
• Had three goals and seven assists at Eastern Florida
• Parents are Dayanara Watson and LaRue Gonzalez

 
HEAR FROM TROY GONZALEZ
"I decided to attend UIW because I grew up playing with current UIW player Angel Garza, and I thought it would be amazing to play alongside him again."
 
HEAR FROM CHRIS FIDLER
"I was really excited to be able to secure Troy for this spring. He is a fantastic midfielder that is calm and composed on the ball and will be someone we look to dictate play through. He has all the attributes to be very successful this coming season and not only is he a fantastic player but an even better person."
 
Patrick Becker | 5-11 | LWB | Olching, Germany
 

• Played at Gymnasium Olching
• Parents are Axel and Sabine Becker

 
HEAR FROM PATRICK BECKER
"I want to help my team to be successful in the next seasons and I want to bring my skills to the next level."
 
HEAR FROM CHRIS FIDLER
"Patrick is a fantastic addition to our 2019 roster, as he gives us another option down our left side and comes from a superb pedigree back in Germany. He will provide serious competition this fall in a number of positions and it is always brilliant to add a true left footed player to the ranks."
 
Karol Wengzrik | 5-8 | AM | Norwich, England
 

• Played at Broadland High School
• Quarterfinalists in the national U18's college cup twice
• Parents are Simon Shorten and Beata Wengzrik

 
HEAR FROM KAROL WENGZRIK
"I chose UIW based on the conversation with the coaches. They seem like really nice people, as well as wanting to push the program forward which shows me they have very high expectations. Furthermore, the university itself is situated in a beautiful city with great facilities. The academics are outstanding also. I feel UIW will be somewhere which will really set me up for life."
 
HEAR FROM CHRIS FIDLER
"Karol has all the ability in the world and can truly be one of those program changing players for us. Karol has a wealth of experience playing at the highest level and I am looking for him to use that here and help me drive this program forward. I am genuinely excited by the addition of Karol to UIW as we have not had a player of his ilk for a number of years."
 
Victor Velasco | 5-11 | AM | Houston, Texas
 

• Played at Episcopal High School
• SPC Champions all four years of high school
• Parents are Victor Velasco and Obdulia Garcia

 
HEAR FROM VICTOR VELASCO
"I decided to commit to UIW because I feel like this year will be a great year and we can make history. I just a great feeling about it all."
 
HEAR FROM CHRIS FIDLER
"I believe that Victor has the drive, technical skills and soccer IQ to thrive playing at the Division I level. Adding another attacking player to our ranks will only aid us in our mission to play a more attacking style of Soccer with his creativity and vision."