FC Dallas added yet another attacker to their ranks on Thursday, inking Colombian midfielder Daniel Cruz of Germinal Beerschot in Belgium.
The former Ajax man joins FCD after more than a decade in Europe, the highlight of which was a 2005 Belgian Cup title for which he wore the captain's armband.
“Daniel Cruz was a player we put on our discovery list probably back in February,” said FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman in a press release. “We felt like he could be one of those players who could contribute to our team and our style of play in the midfield, but he’s also versatile enough to be a second striker.
"He works on both sides of the ball. He’s extremely talented, very skillful. He’s got great experience, good vision and good tactical sense. He seems to be a man of good character. When you put all of those qualities together, I think he’s going to be a really good fit for FC Dallas.”
Cruz spent his youth at Academia de Fútbol Tucumán in Cali, Colombia, where an AFC Ajax scout discovered the 17-year-old while he was training with the América de Cali first team. He went on to make several appearances for the Ajax first team before moving across the border to Belgium.
Cruz, who had a trial earlier in the summer with the Houston Dynamo, scored 12 goals in 150 appearances for Germinal. His father, José Luis Cruz, played for Club Atlético River Plate and América de Cali.
