With the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matchup between Albion San Diego Professional SC and San Diego Loyal less than a month away, the team that makes Canyon Crest Academy Stadium their home for the 2022 NISA season has acquired the services of 22-year-old defender Harold Hanson.
Hanson officially signed with Albion San Diego at the end of February and competed in the U S. Open Cup back on June 13, 2017, with the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer. The match came in the fourth round of the prestigious tournament against the Seattle Sounders, which was the reigning MLS champion at the time, with Portland falling by a score of 2-1 thanks to a second-half penalty kick conversion by Seattle.
“I think my experience will help out the other guys who haven’t played in (U.S. Open Cup) before,” said Hanson. “Players who haven’t experienced the atmosphere from the fans and being on the field with that much pressure on you to have a mandatory win in order to move on.
“With my experience, I think I’ll definitely be able to help on the field along with giving advice to the guys on how to deal with the pressure and hopefully get the win on that day.”
Hanson signed with Portland Timbers 2, the reserve side of Portland Timbers, on March 17, 2017, making his professional debut on April 9, 2017, against Orange County SC, the team that won the USL Championship title last season. On July 22 of that year, Hanson signed a short-term contract with the Portland Timbers for their MLS match the following day against the Vancouver Whitecaps where he came in as a substitute in the Timbers 2-1 win.
“It’s definitely great playing at that level and I’m really on guys about being better every day,” he added. Hanson started out playing in the 2016-17 U.S. Soccer Development Academy with FC Golden State along with representing the U.S. national team at the U-15, U-16, and U-18 levels.
On Jan. 30, 2019, Hanson signed again with Portland Timbers 2 playing a total of 25 games that season along with 15 of the 16 matches the team played in 2020 for a total of 78 games during his four years there. Portland Timbers 2 opted to stop operating following the 2020 season.
“I can’t wait to meet the fans,” said Hanson. “I’ve been told there are definitely great fans out here. One thing I can tell them is this team is not just about being in the league, but we’re looking to win the league. The team is creating chemistry so when the season starts we’ll be a lot better.”
Albion San Diego starts their NISA regular season on April 2 on the road in Arizona against Valley United FC, followed by their U.S. Open Cup match against San Diego Loyal on April 6 at Canyon Crest Academy, with their first regular-season home game on April 10 against Los Angeles Force.
