Leonardo

How Acquired: Signed by the Galaxy on February 7, 2012.

Leonardo is now a member of the Galaxy on a permanent basis after spending the his first two years with the club on loan. A powerful and athletic center back, Leonardo is a key contributor of the Galaxy’s central defense who has been a part of three MLS Cup-winning teams (2011, 2012, 2014).

MLS Highlights

2016: Serving as a reserve to one of the league’s best defensive lines, Leonardo made four starts in four appearances in the 2016 season.

2015: Leonardo started 26 of the 26 games he appeared in in 2015, the most of any defender with exception Omar Gonzalez. He was LA Galaxy’s Defender of the Year in 2015. He started in the team’s 3-2 playoff loss to Seattle in the Knockout Round of the MLS Playoffs.

2014: Started in 20 games for the Galaxy backline that allowed an MLS low in goals with 35 during the Regular Season, adding a goal on May 25 against the Philadelphia Union. Leonardo also started in three of the Galaxy’s five MLS Cup Playoff matches en route to the club winning its fifth MLS Cup title.

2013: After returning from injury, Leonardo became a key contributor to the Galaxy’s backline, appearing in 14 MLS Regular Season games in central defense. His 14 appearances and 1,106 set new career highs.

2012: Missed the entire MLS season due to injury.

2011: Started each of the first seven games of the year in central defense, helping LA to a 3-1-3 record. He played the full 90 minutes in each of those games, helping his team keep three clean sheets. He scored the first goal of his MLS career on 4/2, heading home a David Beckham freekick in a 1-0 home win over Philadelphia. However, he tore the ACL and LCL in his right knee in second half stoppage time of the 2-1 win at Chicago on 4/17. He was forced to undergo surgery a few days later and missed the rest of the season. 

2010: A key figure in the heart of the Galaxy defense at the start of the season, Leonardo saw his first season with the club blighted by injuries, which limited him to just 10 games. He started the first three games of the year, helping the club keep a clean sheet in each before suffering a right quad strain that kept him out for nearly three months. After returning in July, he made just seven additional appearances. He made four appearances in the Open Cup and Champions League, starting all four of LA’s games in those two competitions.

Career Highlights

2001-09: Played for Sao Paulo of the Brazilian Campeonato after originally joining the club in 2001 at the age of 13. He was a member of Sao Paulo’s league championship team in 2008, despite not appearing in any games for the first team. Leonardo came through the youth ranks of the club, having played on the Sao Paulo team that won the Super Group of the 2007 Dallas Cup, defeating Real Madrid and Chelsea en route to the title. He also appeared for the club’s U-15 and U-20 teams. In 2009, he was loaned out to Toledo in the First Division of the Brazilian Paraná Championship, playing there alongside both Alex Cazumba and Juninho, who joined the Galaxy with him in 2009.

National Team

Has played for both the Brazilian U-16 and U-17 National Teams, joining the U-16’s twice during the summer of 2004 and then training with the U-17’s in November of that year.