Ayoze García

Ayoze

Personal information
Full name	Ayoze García Pérez
Date of birth	(1985-11-22) 22 November 1985
Place of birth	Puerto de la Cruz, Spain
Height
Position(s)	Left back
Team information
Current team	New York Cosmos
Number	17
Youth career
	CD Esquilón
	Puerto Cruz
	Tenerife
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002–2004	Tenerife B	50	(8)
2003–2010	Tenerife	162	(19)
2004–2005	→ Las Palmas (loan)	27	(3)
2010–2012	Sporting Gijón	28	(1)
2013–	New York Cosmos	46	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:19, 19 July 2015 (UTC)

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is García and the second or maternal family name is Pérez.

Ayoze García Pérez (born 22 November 1985), known simply as Ayoze, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for North American club New York Cosmos mostly as a left back.

Football career

Spain

Born in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Ayoze made his professional debut with CD Tenerife in Segunda División, then had a loan spell at neighbours UD Las Palmas, in 2004–05's Segunda División B.

Upon his return to Tenerife, he became an essential midfield element in the subsequent seasons: from 2006 to 2008 he only missed eight league games combined and scored 14 times, helping the Canary Islands club achieve promotion to La Liga in 2009. In the subsequent top flight campaign he was used regularly (25 matches, three goals) albeit not an undisputed starter, as Tenerife was immediately relegated back; his debut in the main category of Spanish football took place on 19 September 2009, as he came on as a 62nd-minute substitute in a 0–4 away loss against RCD Mallorca.

In mid-May 2010, after negotiations to renew his link did not produce any results, Ayoze left the team and signed for three years with Sporting de Gijón, which in turn maintained its top division status. He rescinded his contract with the Asturians on 31 August 2012 after two seasons of insignificant playing time, the second one ending in relegation.

United States

Aged 27, Ayoze moved abroad for the first time, joining the second division New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League. In his first year with the team he was an important player, helping it to wins in the NASL Fall Championship and the Soccer Bowl; he tallied one assist, and was part of a defense that ranked first after allowing the fewest goals in the league (12).

On 13 November 2013, the Cosmos signed Ayoze to a contract extension. During the 2014 Spring season he scored two goals and recorded one assist, once again helping his team finish as the one with the least goals conceded and setting a modern day NASL shutout streak record of 372 minutes.

Ayoze provided the assist on Mads Stokkelien's goal that gave the Cosmos a 1–0 lead during the team's 1–2 semifinal defeat against the San Antonio Scorpions on 8 November 2014, in The Championship's semifinals.

Honours

New York Cosmos

• North American Soccer League: 2013 Fall Championship
• Soccer Bowl 2013

External links

• Cosmos official profile
• Ayoze García profile at BDFutbol
• Ayoze García at Soccerway