The San Jose Earthquakes announced the signing of attacking midfielder Matias Perez Garcia on Thursday afternoon, providing coach Mark Watson with a promising new weapon as the Quakes try to haul themselves out of the Western Conference basement.
The Argentine playmaker arrives in San Jose from Club Atletico Tigre in his native land, and has also logged time in Uruguay, Chile and France. The 29-year-old will join the Quakes as a Designated Player, pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and international transfer certificate.
Perez Garcia is scheduled to train with his new team at Levi's Stadium on Friday ahead of their Saturday night match with the Seattle Sounders (10:30 pm ET, NBCSN, TSN2 in Canada), the first-ever event at the brand-new NFL venue in Santa Clara, California.
“We’re very excited to sign Matias,” said Watson in a statement. “He adds a very experienced, technical attacking quality that will be a great complement to the squad we already have. We look forward to having him join the team.”
A former Argentina youth international, Perez Garcia helped Tigre finish second in the 2012 Copa Sudamericana tournament, and led Los Matadores in scoring during both his seasons at the club, netting 16 goals and 10 assists in 77 appearances.
- Find more coverage of the Quakes' new signing at SJEarthquakes.com
“It’s a monumental moment for the club,” said Earthquakes general manager John Doyle. “Matias is a dynamic, attacking player that will create chances for teammates as well as himself. I’m very excited to see the impact that he can have on this league for years to come.”
San Jose currently sit in last place in the West, and have scored just 22 goals in 18 games, tied for second-lowest in the league.
