Sidney Rivera’s next challenge will be filling the net for Morris Elite FC. 

Forward Sidney Rivera will sign with Morris Elite FC for its USL League Two season, according to sources close to the club.

Rivera, 27, a Staten Island native, brings professional experience to the first-year team. That includes playing six times for the Puerto Rican national team since 2019. He has scored twice for that side.

The 6-2, 185-lb. Rivera has played for Orlando City, Louisville City, Pittsburgh Riverheads and Reno 1868 in the USL and USL Championship, Virginia Beach City and FC Motown in the National Premier Soccer League, Than Quant Ninh in Vietnam, Puerto Rico FC in the North American Soccer League, Philadelphia Fury in the National Independent Soccer Association and most recently with Bangladesh Police FC in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

With Bangladesh in 2019, Rivera scored five goals in nine appearances.

Rivera, who attended St. Benedict’s Prep and North Hunterdon High School, graduate of St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, played his college ball at Old Dominion University, recording 11 goals and one assist in 48 matches. the Hampton, N.J> native led ODU with nine goals in 2014 as the team won its first Conference USA tournament title.

The 6-2, 185-lb. Rivera’s two international goals have come in 1-0 and 2-0 home wins over Anguilla in November 2019. He made his Puerto Rico debut in a Concacaf Nations League qualifier against Grenada, coming on for Hector Ramos in the 58th minute March 24, 2019.

Morris Elite FC will make its USL League Two debut against FC Motown at Drew University, Sunday, May 9 at 7 p.m.

The team will host FA Euro New York in its home opener in Essex County, N.J. on Tuesday, May 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.