Nick Garcia

Nick Garcia

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Personal information
Full name	Nick Garcia
Date of birth	(1979-04-09) April 9, 1979
Place of birth	Plano, Texas, United States
Height
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
1994–1998	Dallas Texans
1998–1999	Indiana Hoosiers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2000–2007	Kansas City Wizards	224	(1)
2008–2009	San Jose Earthquakes	36	(0)
2009–2010	Toronto FC	36	(0)
Total		296	(1)
International career‡
1995	United States U-17	2	(0)
1999	United States U-20	4	(0)
2003–2004	United States	6	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 23, 2010 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of April 4, 2010

Nick Garcia (born April 9, 1979 in Plano, Texas) is an American soccer player who grew up playing for the Dallas Texans Soccer Club and most recently played for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.

Career

Youth and College

As a junior and senior at Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas, Texas, Nick won the TAPPS state boys soccer championship, the first and second in their history. He was also all-district, all-state and all-tournament. Garcia won the 1996–97 Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year award, as well, while starring for Dallas Texans youth club. Garcia played college soccer at Indiana University, leading Indiana to the consecutive national titles in 1998 and 1999, and was named All-American in his final season.

Professional

Garcia signed with Project-40 and MLS in 2000, and was drafted second overall (behind Steve Shak) in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft by the Kansas City Wizards.

Garcia subsequently played in – and started – almost 200 games for the Wizards between 2000 and 2007. He helped the Wizards win the MLS Cup in 2000, and the US Open Cup in 2004.

He joined the San Jose Earthquakes as their captain upon their return to MLS in 2008. In early 2009 Garcia signed a multi-year contract with San Jose, but was traded (along with the rights to Canadian international Ali Gerba) to Toronto FC on June 9, 2009 for a third round pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft.

After the 2010 MLS season Toronto declined Garcia's contract option and he elected to participate in the 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft. Garcia became a free agent in Major League Soccer when he was not selected in the Re-Entry draft.

International

Garcia captained the US Under-20 national team at the World Youth Championship in Nigeria in 1999 and earned his first cap for the full national team on January 18, 2003, against Canada. So far, he has amassed six caps for the United States.

Personal life

Garcia is married to wife MeLinda. They welcomed their first child Cruz in early 2009.

Honors

Kansas City Wizards

• Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: 2004
• Major League Soccer MLS Cup: 2000
• Major League Soccer Supporters' Shield: 2000
• Major League Soccer Western Conference Championship: 2004

Toronto FC

• Canadian Championship: 2009, 2010

See also

• List of current MLS players

External links

• MLS player profile

Sporting positions
Preceded by Diego Gutiérrez	Kansas City Wizards captain 2006	Succeeded by Jimmy Conrad
Preceded by Wade Barrett	San Jose Earthquakes captain 2008	Succeeded by Ramiro Corrales