Defender #34
*(Academy Contract)
Victor Arana signed an Academy Contract with Miami FC ahead of the 2025 season, following consistent performances with Miami FC’s USL Academy team.
Defenders
Tulu
Defender #6
Tulu joins Miami FC following his 2024 campaign with USL Championship side Memphis 901 FC. Tulu had 24 appearances for the Tennessee team, including the USL Championship Western Conference Quarterfinals against Orange County SC. Prior to signing with Memphis, Tulu played three seasons for Hartford Athletic from 2021 to 2023. Tulu had 54 appearances for Hartford across all competitions and scored three goals for the team in this time. In May of 2023, San Antonio FC acquired the Togolese defender for the remainder of the 2023 USL Championship season.
Jonathan Ricketts
Defender #2
Jonathan Ricketts joined Miami FC ahead of the 2025 season from Sacramento Republic FC. Ricketts signed with Sacramento Republic FC ahead of the 2024 USL Championship Season. In 2024, Ricketts had 21 appearances, including three in the Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup. Ricketts tallied two goals for the West Coast team over the course of the season. Prior to Sacramento, the defender played for Rio Grande Valley Toros FC from 2022-2023. During his 4,782 minutes playing for the Toros, Ricketts scored four goals and three assists in 62 appearances.
Bolu Akinyode
Defender #21
The 30-year-old returns to Miami following his 2024 campaign with El Paso Locomotive FC. With El Paso, Akinyode amassed 30 appearances and 1,761 minutes throughout the 2024 season. In all, the USL Championship veteran has nine seasons under his belt, playing with Birmingham Legion FC and former Championship teams Nashville SC, Philadelphia Union II, and New York Red Bulls II. Prior to his Texas stint, the center back spent three seasons with Miami FC, playing in South Florida from 2021 to 2023. The Nigerian helped the team clinch two playoff berths in 2021 and 2022. Akinyode had 97 appearances in his time with Miami, scoring two goals and an assist.
Nicolas Cardona
Defender #4
The 24-year-old defender signed with Miami ahead of the 2024 season after two seasons for USL League One’s Chattanooga Red Wolves SC. With the Red Wolves, Cardona had 54 appearances and scored four goals. Prior, the defender played for USL Championship’s Hartford Athletic for the 2021 season. Cardona has ten appearances for the Puerto Rican National Team, he made his debut on January 9, 2021, at 21 years old.
Alejandro Mitrano
Defender #3
Mitrano joined Miami FC before the 2024 season. After playing for Las Vegas Lights FC for the 2023 season, Mitrano signs with Miami FC to continue his USL Championship campaign. The defender had 27 appearances for LV, including one in the U.S. Open Cup. Prior to moving to the States, Mitrano played for Monagas SC in Venezuela’s Liga FUTVE Apertura in 2022. In 2020, he signed with CA Boston River to play in Uruguay’s Primera División Apertura.
Daltyn Knutson
Defender #13
Knutson signed with Miami for the 2024 season, making his USL Championship debut with the team. He had 31 appearances for the team this past season, marking 2,680 minutes. Prior to Miami FC, the defender played five seasons in USL League One. On the League One side, Knutson played for both South Georgia Tormenta FC and Union Omaha, where he won the league title with the latter. During his stint with Omaha, they made it to the Quarterfinals of the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, further than any League One club has advanced. He also was a member of the inaugural Tormenta FC squad in 2019.
