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The San Jose Earthquakes announced their first signing of the new year today. The club has acquired Argentine forward Cristian Espinoza on a season-long loan from Spain’s Villarreal using Targeted Allocation Money.
The 23-year-old already has an impressive resume having represented Argentina in the 2015 U-20 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. He has spent much of his professional career signed to La Liga side Villarreal where they have loaned him out to various clubs to further his development. He most recently played with Almeyda’s former rival River Plate where he made a couple of appearances in the teams 2018 Copa Libertadores championship run.
Bringing in a young forward is a good signing for a team that struggled to get the ball in the net last season although at 5’ 7” and 154 pounds it will be interesting to see how the Argentine adjusts to the physical style of MLS.
Cristian Espinoza
Position: Forward
Height: 5-7
Weight: 154 lbs.
Born: April 3, 1995
Preferred Foot: Right
Hometown: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Last Club: Villarreal (Spain)
Roster Designation: International