
MBFC Signs Salinas Native Joel Garcia Jr.
January 13, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Monterey Bay FC News Release
SEASIDE, California - Monterey Bay Football Club (Monterey Bay FC) announces today that the Club has signed 22-year-old defender and Salinas native Joel Garcia Jr., pending league and federation approval. The Alisal High School alum spent time with MBFC2 in 2023 for the U23 side's inaugural campaign in USL League Two, making Garcia Jr. the fourth player in Club history to complete the jump to the first team.
"Im very excited to get started with MBFC this upcoming season. Coming from Salinas and being able to represent my local club is an honor," Garcia Jr. explained. "I will give all of my effort to help the club succeed all throughout the year. I'm also really looking forward to playing in front of my family and friends coming from Salinas. I want to contribute in any way that I can to help the club not only make a deep run in the playoffs, but also to win the league."
A local product of the San Jose Earthquakes academy, Garcia Jr. began his collegiate career with San Jose State University in 2020. During his time with the Spartans, the defender appeared in 41 matches (33 starts), scoring six goals and adding two assists from the back line. He earned All-WAC Freshman Team honors during his first season, and made the All-WAC Preseason Team ahead of his final season at the school in 2023.
Garcia Jr. returned to the Quakes in 2024, signing his first professional contract with the organization's reserve team The Town FC under a coaching staff that consisted of current Monterey Bay FC coaches Jordan Stewart and Jeremy Clark. He played in 24 matches in all competitions for The Town FC, scoring two goals and adding three assists. Now, the young defender joins Stewart and Clark in Seaside.
"Joel's 100% effort and buy-in to the cause has impressed us," said Monterey Bay FC Technical Director Simon Dawkins. "He is a versatile defender who can play multiple positions. Jordan [Stewart] and the rest of the coaching staff know Joel very well from his time with The Town FC, but we as an organization were already familiar with him from his time with MBFC2. It is extremely important for us to have a local product playing for Monterey Bay FC. This shows once again that there is a real pathway for all of the local talent here, and Joel perfectly represents that. It will be a really exciting moment to see him put on an MBFC jersey here at Cardinale stadium in front of his family and friends."
NAME: Joel Garcia Jr.
PRONUNCIATION: HO-EL
POSITION: Defender
AGE: 22
HEIGHT: 5'7
DATE OF BIRTH: April 26, 2002
HOMETOWN: Salinas, California
NATIONALITY: United States
PREVIOUS CLUB: The Town FC
TRANSACTION: Monterey Bay has signed Joel Garcia Jr. to a one-year contract on January 13, 2025.
The current roster heading into the 2025 season as of January 13 is listed alphabetically as follows:
Goalkeepers:
Defenders: Joel Garcia Jr., Nico Gordon, Carlos Guzmán, Alex Lara, Jacob Muir, Grant Robinson
Midfielders: Ethan Bryant, Mobi Fehr, Pierce Gallaway, Xavi Gnaulati, Adrian Rebollar
Forwards: Luther Archimčde, Alex Dixon, Diego Gutiérrez, Mayele Malango, Anton Søjberg
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United Soccer League Championship Stories from January 13, 2025
- Orange County SC Announces 2025 Preseason Schedule - Orange County SC
- MBFC Signs Salinas Native Joel Garcia Jr. - Monterey Bay FC
- El Paso Locomotive FC Sign Goalkeeper Sebastian Mora for 2025 - El Paso Locomotive FC
- Miami FC Re-Signs Defender Daltyn Knutson - Miami FC
- New Mexico United Announces Season-Long Loan Addition of Tomas Pondeca - New Mexico United
- New Mexico United Announces Season-Long Loan Addition of Tomas Pondeca - New Mexico United
- Rowdies Sign Wyke for 2025 - Tampa Bay Rowdies
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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