FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England forward Ilija Stolica has received his P1 work visa and will join the Revolution before Saturday night's match against D.C. United.
Stolica, 31, signed with the Revolution last week, but he missed the 1-1 draw in Philadelphia last Saturday and the SuperLiga semifinal victory over Puebla on Wednesday as he waited for an appointment at the American embassy in Belgrade, Serbia, to obtain the necessary paperwork.
After obtaining his visa on Friday morning, the Serbian striker boarded a plane in Belgrade and is due to land in the Boston area on Friday night.
New England boss Steve Nicol said he planned to include Stolica in his injury-ravaged squad – a group further weakened after Kevin Alston (mild left hamstring strain) and Marko Perovic (strained left calf) picked up injuries on Wednesday – for the important clash with United.
“He has been training, but, obviously, he hasn't been training with us,” Nicol said. “He hasn't played games, but I'm sure we could get something out of him.”
Nicol said he expects the well-traveled veteran goal-poacher to lend his scoring nous to the Revolution after the former Partizan Belgrade and OFI Crete striker departed FK Buducnost Podgorica (Montenegro) earlier this summer to ply his trade in MLS.
“It's an instinct, you know,” Nicol said. “You stick a guy who has a nose for the net in any team and, with a decent supply, he'll score goals. Obviously, we have to get him a good supply of chances as well.”
