Nashville Soccer Club announced today it has claimed goalkeeper Xavier Valdez via the End-of-Year Waivers process. The selection now gives Nashville SC the ability to extend a contract offer to the dual United States and Dominican Republic international. In the event Nashville and Valdez do not agree to terms on a contract, Nashville SC retains the right of first refusal on the player.

The End-of-Year Waivers process is conducted in reverse order of the 2024 season finish including postseason performance, granting Nashville SC fifth selection priority. Expansion club San Diego FC get the 30th pick, which serves as the final selection in each round. Players who do not meet the minimum requirements for Re-Entry Process or Free Agency are eligible for selection. A full list of End-of-Year Waivers rules and procedures can be found here.

Valdez signed with Houston Dynamo FC as a homegrown player in 2022 after the Dynamo acquired his homegrown territory rights from the New York Red Bulls and NYCFC.

Valdez made 50 regular season (48) and playoff starts (2) in MLS NEXT Pro for Houston Dynamo FC 2 since debuting with the club in 2022. During his inaugural season, he secured six clean sheets in just 13 starts, including three consecutive shutouts to begin his campaign and four in his first five matches. The goalkeeper then made 35 regular season starts the next two seasons, helping lead Dynamo FC 2 to consecutive MLS NEXT Pro playoff berths.

On the international stage, the Dominican international represented his country at the Paris 2024 Olympics, starting two of the team’s three matches and earning a clean sheet in a scoreless draw versus Egypt. In addition to the Olympics, Valdez has appeared 11 times for the Dominican Republic National Team, including 10 starts in CONCACAF Nations League B since 2023, most recently backstopping the squad to a 6-1 win over Bermuda on Nov. 19, 2024. He made three appearances and two starts for the Dominican Republic U20 team during the CONCACAF U20 Championship in 2022 while also appearing for the U20’s in three U-20 World Cup 2023 matches and three international friendlies that same year.

Transaction: Nashville SC claims goalkeeper Xavier Valdez via the End-of-Year Waivers process

Xavier Valdez

Position: Goalkeeper

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 181 lbs.

Birthdate: Nov. 23, 2003

Age: 21

Birthplace: Harlem, N.Y.

Nationality: American, Dominican

Last club: Houston Dynamo FC

How acquired: Selected via End-of-Year Waivers process on Dec. 13, 2024

Nashville SC joined Major League Soccer on Feb. 29, 2020 in front of the largest attendance ever recorded for a soccer match in the State of Tennessee. In its inaugural MLS season, Nashville SC defied expectations by becoming the second MLS expansion side to win and advance to the Conference Semifinals in the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. Nashville SC returned to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in its sophomore season after becoming just the seventh team in MLS history to go unbeaten at home in a season. The Boys in Gold again qualified for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in both 2022 and 2023, becoming just the third team in league history to reach the postseason during the team’s first four years in existence. Nashville SC inaugurated GEODIS Park, the largest soccer-specific stadium in the United States and Canada, in front of a sellout crowd of 30,109 on May 1, 2022. For more information, visit NashvilleSC.com and follow the club at @NashvilleSC on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter)and Spotify.