Carlos Garces (athlete)

Carlos Garcés was one of the founding members of Club America in 1916. From its inception until 1928, he played as a midfielder for the club winning multiple titles in the Primera Fuerza.[6]

As football in Mexico was not a lucrative occupation, Garcés López, a licensed dentist, found employment at the cement company Cemento Cruz Azul located in the small town of Jasso, Hidalgo providing dental care to its employees. He would travel regularly to Mexico City from Jasso to train and play for America.[7][1]

In 1925, Cemento Cruz Azul had voted to establish a company baseball team as the sport was popular in the town of Jasso.[8] Garcés López, however, personally lobbied for many months to change the official company sport to football. Initially receiving resistance from American employees, Garcés López eventually convinced the company directors to hold a referendum in which the workers would vote on the company team's main sport. On 22 March 1927, the vote was held where it was decided the company team's sport was to change from baseball to football.[9] Cemento Cruz Azul installed a football pitch on the company's premises in place of the baseball field and the football team was officially established on two months later on 22 May where Garcés López was appointed head coach of the newly founded team.[7][1]