RailHawks sign Cerritos

The Carolina RailHawks signed veteran forward Ronald Cerritos on Thursday, team president and GM Chris Economides confirmed.

“We’re hoping he can come in and add a spark and some leadership to the team,” Ecoomides said. “He’s had a storied career with the El Salvadoran national team and MLS. He’s going to add an element that’s been missing.”

Cerritos, 33, has earned 47 caps and scored seven goals for El Salvador since 1995.

He played 10 seasons in Major League Soccer, from 1997-2006. He enjoyed his greatest success in San Jose, where he scored 55 goals in 118 appearances from 1997-2001. He also played for Dallas, D.C. United and Houston.

Cerritos spent this year with Real Maryland, a USL Second Division expansion team. He scored two goals in 15 appearances with the Monarchs, but was released last week. He played against the RailHawks in the teams' June 24 meeting in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup, which Carolina won 1-0.

The U.S. Soccer Federation still must approve the deal, which is typically just a formality. Economides said Cerritos will fly to Cary on Friday morning and be available for the night’s match against Vancouver at WakeMed Soccer Park. Economides could not say for sure if Cerritos will dress for the game, as that decision is up to coach Scott Schweitzer.