Andrew Boyens

How Acquired: Selected by the Galaxy in the first round of Phase 2 of the 2011 MLS Re-Entry Process. Signed with the club on January 30, 2012.

An MLS veteran center back with World Cup playing experience, the Galaxy claimed Boyens from Chivas USA in the MLS Re-Entry Process. Physical and good in the air, he is expected to battle for a spot in the Galaxy starting lineup all season long.

MLS Highlights

2011: Signed with Chivas USA in February 2011 and made 12 league appearances for them, starting 10 games and scoring once while also being sent off once. He made his debut for the club in a 1-1 draw at Toronto FC on 4/2, playing the full 90 minutes in central defense. He started five straight games for the club before being sent off against Real Salt Lake on 5/7 after collecting two yellow cards. He returned to the lineup to face the Galaxy on 5/21 and then scored his first goal for Chivas USA, heading home a Heath Pearce corner kick in a 3-3 draw at Columbus on 5/28. However, injures limited him to just five appearances over the final five months of the year. 2010: Made three U.S. Open Cup appearances for the Red Bulls but did not play in any MLS games. He missed two months of the season while with New Zealand at the FIFA World Cup. 2009: Appeared in and started 14 games for the Red Bulls including eight games over the final two months of the season. He missed significant portions of time while injured as well as while on international duty at the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. 2008: He was released by Toronto in April 2008 and signed with the New York Red Bulls a month later. He debuted for the club on 5/17 in a 1-1 home draw with Kansas City and went on to play in 19 regular season games as the Red Bulls reached the MLS Cup Playoffs. There, he played both legs of the Conference Semifinal Series with Houston, helping New York pull off the upset, but suffered a broken forearm in the second leg of that series, forcing him to miss the remainder of the playoffs. 2007: Selected by Toronto FC in the first round (10th overall) of the 2007 MLS SuperDraft, Boyens appeared in 23 games for the expansion club, making 21 starts while scoring once and adding an assist. Both the goal and the assist came in a 2-1 home win over Colorado as he set up Danny Dichio for TFC’s first goal and then scored the eventual game-winner himself, heading home a Ronnie O’Brien corner kick. He was sent off twice during his rookie season, being shown red cards in a 1-1 draw with Kansas City on 7/1 and a 2-1 win over New York on 10/4.

College Highlights

Played three seasons at the University of New Mexico (2004-06), and was twice named Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Year, winning the award in 2004 and 2006. A three-time First Team All-MPSF and NSCAA All-Far West Region honoree, he tallied 11 goals and six assists in his time with the Lobos and helped lead them to the NCAA Tournament three times. In 2004, he was part of a squad that posted a 17-1-2 record, winning the MPSF title as well as a trip to the Regional Semifinals (Third Round) where they lost to Virginia. One season later, Boyens was named to the NCAA College Cup All-Tournament Team after guiding the Lobos to the NCAA Championship Game with a record of 18-2-3, though they lost to A.J. DeLaGarza and Maryland. He helped New Mexico to a third straight MPSF title in 2006, and was named a First Team All-American and a Hermann Trophy Semifinalist.

National Team

A member of New Zealand’s team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Boyens has collected 19 caps while playing for the All Whites. After playing for New Zealand’s U-20’s and U23’s, Boyens made his full international debut in a 2-2 draw with Wales in May 2007. He played in three games at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and then helped New Zealand qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1982, though he did not play in any of his team’s three games at the tournament as they went out in the group stage after drawing all three of their matches.