York United Activates Oswaldo’s Option

Canadian Premier League club York United has triggered its option on centre-back Oswaldo Leon.

The Mexican defender was one of five players on a club option, with the Nine Stripes still to confirm if Thomas Vincensini, Juan Cordava, Dennis Salanovic, or Markiyan Voytsekhovskyy will have their own options exercised.

Leon, 25, made 20 appearances for the club after recovering from an injury at the start of the campaign, eventually settling into a starting position and even captaining the side at the tail end of the season. That’s when he perhaps shined brightest, scoring against Pacific during the club’s first-ever home playoff victory.

The defender led York United in terms of blocks and clearances, and says that the team is creating something special is they move towards some big objectives for 2025 and beyond.

“His first season was excellent and he became a strong leader within the group,” adds YUFC President Ricardo Pasquel. “He’s a powerful defender with great positioning and a wonderful ability to read the game. Oswaldo carries a terrific work ethic and understands precisely what the club is about. We look forward to watching him build on 2024 and push us to even greater days in the future.”

The six-foot-two defender had previously made over forty appearances for the Club America U-20 squad before getting a chance with the senior team in 2018, when he made four appearances for them in Copa MX cup competition.

He also featured for the Mexico U-20 back then, featuring in four Concacaf U-20 Championship matches before playing every possible minute in the country’s FIFA U-20 World Cup run in 2019.

After exiting the Club America system, Leon became a journeyman amongst Mexico’s second tier: annual moves betwixt the likes of Club Atletico Zacatepec, Cancun FC, Tlaxcala, Venados, and Dorados de Sinaloa followed, with Leon tallying 82 Expansion MX appearances before testing himself in Canada this year.

The York United roster is expected to undergo plenty of change this offseason, with nine players going out of contract by year’s end in addition to the club options still under consideration.

The 26-year-old’s new deal with York United includes a club option for 2026.

Header Image Photo Credit: John Jacques