Sacramento Republic FC signs Finnish midfielder Petteri Pennanen, re-signs Belmar

Sacramento Republic FC announced Monday it reached an agreement with Finnish veteran midfielder Petteri Pennanen, who will be added to the roster pending league and federation approval and receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate.

Pennanen, 30, joins Sacramento from Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS) of the top-flight Finnish Veikkausliiga. He has 16 years of senior team experience in Finland, Indonesia, Poland and the Netherlands and has been featured for Finland’s youth and senior national teams.

“Pete is a big-time player, and it was clear from our research and from our conversations with him that he epitomizes the indomitable mentality that our club is built upon,” Republic FC General Manager Todd Dunivant said in a release. “We are confident that his experience and leadership will drive our team forward and raise the level both on and off the field.”

In nearly 350 career matches, he has featured in 97% of his club’s matches, recording over 26,000 minutes, 60 goals and 43 assists. In 2020, he was named to the Veikkausliiga August Star team, and in 2018 and 2019, he earned Midfielder of the Year – as voted on by the players throughout the league, as well as to the Veikkausliiga all-star team.

Sac Republic brings back Belmar

Republic FC also announced last week they were re-signing forward Kharlton Belmar to a new contract.

In his first year with Sac Republic last season, Belmar made 14 appearances — with 10 starts – including the club’s Western Conference Quarterfinals playoff match against Phoenix Rising. He led the team with four assists and scored his lone goal against Tacoma Defiance.

Belmar is currently 18th in all-time USL Championship scorers with 43 goals and is tied for 13th among active players in the 2020 season.

“Kharlton showed his attacking versatility last season and was especially effective as a striker,” Sac Republic FC General Manager Todd Dunivant said. “His overall game elevated as the year progressed, and he added some important leadership elements to our team. We are excited to see what is in store for him in 2021 and beyond.”

This story was originally published December 7, 2020 at 10:00 AM.