The signing news out of Cary has largely concerned midfielders and forwards, but as Sir Alex Ferguson and Edwin van der Sar can attest, there's no more indispensable component of a winning soccer team than a first-rate back four.
The signings have been slowand the one announced defensive newcomer, Mark Schulte, had not arrived in camp when we were there Wednesday (although we did see 2008 holdover David Stokes, who is on the roster).
Today the RailHawks announced the signings of defenders Jack Stewart and Jeremy Tolleson, both of whom have been training in Cary this week while awaiting clearance on their contracts from relevant supervising parties. The former is a veteran of the MLS and Norway's first division. The latter was the linchpin of last season's Cleveland City Stars defense, and is the latest in a string of players who've followed Martin Rennie down from C-Town.
Here's the text of the team's announcement: