Sky Blue FC sign Brazilian midfielder Thaisa

Sky Blue FC announced on Wednesday the signing of Brazilian midfielder Thaisa Moreno to the squad ahead of the 2018 NWSL season. The signing is the first official act of Denise Reddy since taking over as Sky Blue head coach.

Thaisa, as she is better known, brings with her a wealth of international experience to New Jersey. The 28-year-old midfielder has scored four goals in 49 appearances for Brazil since earning her first cap in 2013. Since her debut, she has also been a member of their 2015 World Cup and 2016 Olympic squads.

“Thaisa is a distinguished international with outstanding ability on both sides of the ball,” Reddy said in the team’s official announcement. “Her experience and expertise as a midfield motor will be a huge addition to our roster.”

Besides being experienced at the international level, Thaisa also has extensive experience at the club level as well. She won the Campaneato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino (Brazilian Women’s Football Cup) in 2011 with her first professional club, Foz Cataratas FC. She then won the Campeonato Paulista with Ferroviária and the Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino with Centro Olímpico in 2013.

Thaisa then moved to Sweden, where she played for Tyresö FF of the Damallsvenskan alongside fellow Brazilian Marta and USWNT players Whitney Engen, Meghan Klingenberg and Christen Press. Together the squad helped Tyresö advance to the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final against Germany’s VfL Wolfsburg.

Thaisa returned to Ferroviária later that year before signing with América Mineiro in Minas Gerais (2015), São José Esporte Clube (2016), and Grindavík of Úrvalsdeild kvenna, the top-tier women’s soccer league in Iceland (2017).

The Brazilian is not unfamiliar with playing in the United States after playing collegiately stateside. She played for two years at Feather River College in California, where she scored 69 goals and had 27 assists. Following her sophomore year, she transferred to Florida International University (FIU), where she made 20 appearances and scored a team-leading seven goals in her junior season during FIU’s push to win the Sun Belt Conference regular-season title.

“Needless to say, we are incredibly excited to have Thaisa coming to New Jersey,” said Tony Novo, Sky Blue FC President & General Manager. “She is an internationally accomplished player who will provide a huge boost as our roster continues to take shape for the 2018 season. Her leadership and style of play will be a tremendous addition to our team.”