CARSON, Calif. (Friday, Aug. 1, 2014) – LA Galaxy Homegrown Player Jose Villarreal returned from a loan spell with Mexican side Cruz Azul and will join LA Galaxy II on loan, the club announced today. Villarreal will be available for Galaxy II as they take on the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Saturday, Aug. 2 at 4 p.m. PT. The match will be streamed live on www.lagalaxy.com.
Villarreal, 20, signed as a Homegrown Player for the LA Galaxy December 22, 2011. A product of the LA Galaxy Academy, Villarreal has scored three goals and recorded two assists for the LA Galaxy in his 32 appearances for the club. The forward scored in his second-ever appearance for the Galaxy, notching the game-tying goal in the 87th minute during a 2-2 draw against the Vancouver Whitecaps July 18, 2012. Last year, Villarreal also appeared in five CONCACAF Champions League games, one U.S. Open Cup match and an MLS Playoff game.
Prior to signing with the Galaxy, Villarreal was a member of the Galaxy Academy U-18, scoring three times in six matches in 2011. Before his time with the Galaxy Academy, he helped lead Pateadores to the 2011 U.S. Soccer Development Academy National Championship, scoring 20 goals in 31 games for the club.
Born in Inglewood, California, Villarreal has appeared for various U.S. youth national teams, including U-18, U-20 and U-23 squads. He helped his country qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2013, scoring three goals at the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship, where he was named to the All-Tournament team. At the World Cup, he started in all three games for the United States.
As a LA Galaxy II player, Villarreal will join his younger brother, Jaime, who penned a professional contract with Los Dos last week as the first LA Galaxy Academy player to sign for the USL PRO side.
Transaction: Jose Villarreal returns to LA Galaxy from loan with Cruz Azul and is loaned to LA Galaxy II
