Ayoze García
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ayoze García Pérez | ||
| Date of birth | 22 November 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Puerto de la Cruz, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Playing position | Left back | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | New York Cosmos | ||
| Number | 17 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| CD Esquilón | |||
| Puerto Cruz | |||
| Tenerife | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2002–2004 | Tenerife B | 50 | (8) |
| 2003–2010 | Tenerife | 162 | (19) |
| 2004–2005 | → Las Palmas (loan) | 27 | (3) |
| 2010–2012 | Sporting Gijón | 28 | (1) |
| 2013– | New York Cosmos | 37 | (2) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 30 November 2014. † Appearances (Goals). | |||
Ayoze García Pérez (born 22 November 1985), simply known as Ayoze, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League, mostly as a left back.
Football career
Spain
Born in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Ayoze made his professional debut with CD Tenerife in Segunda División, then had a loan spell at neighbours UD Las Palmas, in 2004–05's Segunda División B.
Upon his return to Tenerife, he became an essential midfield element in the subsequent seasons: from 2006 to 2008 he only missed eight league games combined and scored 14 times, helping the Canary Islands club achieve promotion to La Liga in 2009. In the subsequent top flight campaign he was used regularly (25 matches, three goals) albeit not an undisputed starter, as Tenerife was immediately relegated back; his debut in the main category of Spanish football took place on 19 September 2009, as he came on as a 62nd minute substitute in a 0–4 away loss against RCD Mallorca.[1]
In mid-May 2010, after negotiations to renew his link did not produce any results, Ayoze left the team and signed for three years with Sporting de Gijón, which in turn maintained its top division status.[2] He rescinded his contract with the Asturians on 31 August 2012 after two seasons of insignificant playing time, the second one ending in relegation.[3]
United States
Aged 27, Ayoze moved abroad for the first time, joining the second division New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League.[4] In his first year with the team he was an important player, helping it to wins in the NASL Fall Championship and the Soccer Bowl;[5] he tallied one assist, and was part of a defense that ranked first after allowing the fewest goals in the league (12).
On 13 November 2013, the Cosmos signed Ayoze to a contract extension. During the 2014 Spring season he scored two goals and recorded one assist, once again helping his team finish as the one with the least goals conceded and setting a modern day NASL shutout streak record of 372 minutes.[6]
Ayoze provided the assist on Mads Stokkelien's goal that gave the Cosmos a 1–0 lead during the team's 1–2 semifinal defeat against the San Antonio Scorpions on 8 November 2014, in The Championship's semifinals.[7]
Honours
- New York Cosmos
References
- ↑ "El Mallorca golea al Tenerife y firma su mejor arranque liguero" [Mallorca routs Tenerife and signs best league start] (in Spanish). El País. 19 September 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
- ↑ Ayoze anuncia su marcha al Sporting (Ayoze announces departure to Sporting); Marca, 19 May 2010 (Spanish)
- ↑ Ayoze, desligado del Sporting (Ayoze, ties with Sporting cut); Sporting's official website, 31 August 2012 (Spanish)
- ↑ New York Cosmos sign Spanish midfielder Ayoze; Cosmos' official website, 8 February 2013
- ↑ Lohr, Luke (10 November 2013). "New York Cosmos claim 2013 NASL Soccer Bowl behind goal from Marcos Senna". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
- ↑ New York Cosmos shutout streak ends; One World Sports, 26 April 2014
- ↑ San Antonio Scorpions 2–1 NY Cosmos; Cosmos' official website, 8 November 2014
External links
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