CARSON, Calif. (Friday, March 6, 2015) – The LA Galaxy announced today that the club has signed midfielder Mika Vayrynen. The Finnish international will join the Galaxy pending the acquisition of a P-1 Visa and ITC and will occupy an International roster spot. Per MLS and club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Mika is a player that brings additional experience to our midfield,” said Head Coach and General Manager Bruce Arena. “We saw his abilities during preseason and are confident he can contribute to our team this season. We are happy he will be a part of our group going forward.”
Vayrynen’s professional career began in 1999 when he joined FC Lahti in Finland. After scoring 15 goals in the next two seasons in Finland with Lahti and FC Jokerit, the midfielder signed a contract with SC Heerenveen in Dutch’s top-flight league, the Eredivisie. From 2001-2005, he made over 100 appearances while scoring 17 goals for Heerenveen. His play earned him a contract with PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch league, where he helped lead the club to Eredivisie to titles in 2005-06 and 2006-07 before returning to Heerenveen again in 2008. After a brief spell with Leeds United in England, he joined Finnish side HJK Helsinki, where he has made 40 appearances while scoring five goals since 2012.
Internationally, Vayrynen made his Finland debut in 2002 in a match against South Korea. Since then, he has amassed 59 international appearances while notching five goals and playing in various UEFA Euro Qualifying matches and FIFA World Cup Qualifying matches.
The LA Galaxy open the 2015 MLS Regular season tonight at 7 p.m. PT at StubHub Center with a match against the Chicago Fire, broadcast live on UniMás. Limited tickets remain for tonight’s match. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 877-3GALAXY (342-5299) or visiting www.lagalaxy.com/tickets.
