Ayoze García

Ayoze García Pérez (born 22 November 1985), known simply as Ayoze, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a left-back, currently assistant coach for USL Championship club Indy Eleven.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is García and the second or maternal family name is Pérez.
Ayoze
Ayoze with Indy Eleven in 2018
Personal information
Full name Ayoze García Pérez[1]
Date of birth (1985-11-22) 22 November 1985[1]
Place of birth Puerto de la Cruz, Spain
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Position(s) Left-back
Team information
Current team
 Indy Eleven (assistant)
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)
2013–2017 New York Cosmos 121 (8)
2018–2022 Indy Eleven 120 (13)
Total 508 (52)
Managerial career
2023– Indy Eleven (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He spent most of his 20-year senior career with Tenerife and the New York Cosmos, signing with the latter club in 2013. He retired following a spell in the USL Championship with Indy Eleven.

Playing career

Spain

Ayoze was born in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife. He made his professional debut with CD Tenerife in the Segunda División, then had a loan spell at neighbours UD Las Palmas in 2004–05's Segunda División B; he started his career as a winger.[2][3]

Upon his return, Ayoze became an essential member of the squad: from 2006 to 2008 he only missed eight league games and scored 14 goals, helping the Canary Islands club to achieve promotion to La Liga in 2009 while acting as one of their captains.[2] In the following season, he was again used regularly (25 appearances, three goals) as the team was immediately relegated; his debut in the Spanish top flight took place on 19 September 2009 as he came on as a 62nd-minute substitute in a 4–0 away loss against RCD Mallorca,[4] and his first goal came on 29 November in the 3–3 draw at Real Valladolid.[5]

In mid-May 2010, after negotiations to renew his link did not produce any results, Ayoze left Tenerife and signed for three years with Sporting de Gijón, which in turn retained their top-division status.[6] He terminated his contract with the Asturians on 31 August 2012 after two seasons of insignificant playing time, the second one ending in relegation.[7][8][2]

NY Cosmos
Ayoze in action for the Cosmos in 2015

Aged 27, Ayoze moved abroad for the first time, joining the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League.[9] He was an important player in his first year, helping to wins in the Fall Championship and the Soccer Bowl;[10] he tallied one assist, and was part of a defence that ranked first after allowing the fewest goals in the league (12).[11]

On 13 November 2013, Ayoze agreed to an extension. During the 2014 Spring season he scored twice and recorded one assist, once again helping his side to finish as the one with the fewest goals conceded and setting a modern-day NASL shutout streak record of 372 minutes.[12]

Ayoze provided the final pass on Mads Stokkelien's goal that gave the Cosmos a 1–0 lead in an eventual 2–1 defeat against the San Antonio Scorpions on 8 November 2014, in The Championship's semi-finals.[13]

Indy Eleven

On 6 February 2018, Ayoze signed for United Soccer League club Indy Eleven.[14] He ended his stint at the end of the 2022 campaign aged 37, as leader in games played (126), started (106) and assists (22), being joint-fifth in goals at 13; other than him, only Karl Ouimette and Brad Ring had spent five seasons at the IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium.[15]

Coaching career

Immediately after retiring, Ayoze stayed in Indiana by joining Mark Lowry's staff at Indy Eleven.[15]

Honours

New York Cosmos

References
  1. Ayoze García at WorldFootball.net
  2. Doble, Carlos (8 January 2014). "¡Cuánto tiempo! Ayoze García" [It's been so long! Ayoze García] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  3. Cima, J.E. (17 July 2010). "Ayoze: «Los nuevos tenemos que integrarnos rápido»" [Ayoze: "Us the new guys must take no time to fit in"]. La Nueva España (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  4. "El Mallorca golea al Tenerife y firma su mejor arranque liguero" [Mallorca rout Tenerife and sign their best league start]. El País (in Spanish). 19 September 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  5. "Remontada impresionante del Tenerife en Valladolid" [Impressive Tenerife comeback in Valladolid]. Noticias de Gipuzkoa (in Spanish). 30 November 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  6. "Ayoze anuncia su marcha al Sporting" [Ayoze announces departure to Sporting]. Marca (in Spanish). 19 May 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  7. Cabranes, Ángel (29 April 2011). "Ayoze confía en que llegará su momento" [Ayoze trusts his time will come]. La Nueva España (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  8. "Ayoze, desligado del Sporting" [Ayoze, ties with Sporting cut] (in Spanish). Sporting Gijón. 31 August 2012. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  9. "New York Cosmos sign Spanish midfielder Ayoze". New York Cosmos. 8 February 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  10. Lohr, Luke (10 November 2013). "New York Cosmos claim 2013 NASL Soccer Bowl behind goal from Marcos Senna". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  11. Schmidt, Stephen (9 April 2014). "2014 New York Cosmos Preview: The Defense". SB Nation. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  12. Butler, Dylan (26 April 2014). "New York Cosmos shutout streak ends". One World Sports. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  13. "San Antonio Scorpions 2 NY Cosmos 1". North American Soccer League. 9 November 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  14. "Ayoze Garcia Perez, Eugene Starikov sign with Indy Eleven". Indy Eleven. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  15. "Ayoze continues Indy Legacy as member of technical staff in 2023". Indy Eleven. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
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