Ever the speedster like his father, Diego Garcia was born in Dallas on January 20, eight weeks earlier than expected.
Weighing in at just over three pounds and much smaller than a soccer ball, Diego inadvertently made San Antonio FC history.
Midfielder Danny Garcia was looking to sign with a new soccer team in January, and was looking at offers from different USL and MLS teams with training camp on the horizon. But all of the teams were out of state, and Garcia couldn’t bear the thought of being far away from his son.
A week after Diego was born, Garcia got a call from his agent. There was a new USL team coming to San Antonio.
Garcia made his mark in the SAFC record books on Saturday, scoring the first Toyota Field goal in club history. In the 42nd minute, Garcia took a pass from Carlos Alvarez and sent it past the Swope Park Rangers’ goalkeeper, giving San Antonio FC its home goal in the eventual 1-1 draw.
“Diego got to see the goal,” Garcia said. “I was fortunate enough for him to be there, and it was just a huge lift.”
Diego’s a little too young to remember the goal, but many of the Toyota Field record crowd of 8,466 will remember his father’s shot. And Danny Garcia might not have been in a San Antonio FC kit if not for Diego.
“It was an awesome moment,” Danny said. “I’ve never done anything like that in my life, and that’s something I’ll keep forever. I hope we gave the fans a good memory, too.”
Diego Garcia was unavailable for comment, on account of being three months old.
For his father, Danny, San Antonio is an exciting stop in a rising career.
Growing up in Dallas, Garcia was a star at the FC Dallas Academy, where he helped the academy win its first U-17/U-17 Development Academy championship in 2012, becoming the first MLS-affiliated academy to win the title.
He played a season at the University of North Carolina, where he was named ACC Freshman of the Year. Garcia turned pro after one collegiate season, signing with FC Dallas.
He had ups and downs with FC Dallas, making four MLS appearances in three seasons from 2013 to 2015. He spent much of 2015 on loan to the USL’s Arizona United.
“There are so many guys at the academy level, and breaking through was always that next step,” Garcia said. “I think coming here and playing with these great teammates is going to give me a big push.”
Garcia pointed to Saturday’s match as an example of the teammates helping him out. Garcia was inserted into the starting lineup on Saturday after coming in as a substitute for SAFC’s first match against Seattle.
He had two chances to score early in the match against Swope Park, but both missed. He said his teammates kept picking him up after the misses, and he confidently buried a goal on his next shot.
Riding high off his team’s success in the first two matches, Garcia said he’s thrilled about what SAFC might be able to accomplish in its inaugural season.
“We have so much potential,” Garcia said. “We’ve played well but I think we can do so much better, especially with finishing and putting teams away.”
One day, he’ll tell Diego Garcia all about it.
Ever the speedster like his father, Diego Garcia was born in Dallas on January 20, eight weeks earlier than expected.
Weighing in at just over three pounds and much smaller than a soccer ball, Diego inadvertently made San Antonio FC history.
Midfielder Danny Garcia was looking to sign with a new soccer team in January, and was looking at offers from different USL and MLS teams with training camp on the horizon. But all of the teams were out of state, and Garcia couldn’t bear the thought of being far away from his son.
A week after Diego was born, Garcia got a call from his agent. There was a new USL team coming to San Antonio.
Garcia made his mark in the SAFC record books on Saturday, scoring the first Toyota Field goal in club history. In the 42nd minute, Garcia took a pass from Carlos Alvarez and sent it past the Swope Park Rangers’ goalkeeper, giving San Antonio FC its home goal in the eventual 1-1 draw.
“Diego got to see the goal,” Garcia said. “I was fortunate enough for him to be there, and it was just a huge lift.”
Diego’s a little too young to remember the goal, but many of the Toyota Field record crowd of 8,466 will remember his father’s shot. And Danny Garcia might not have been in a San Antonio FC kit if not for Diego.
“It was an awesome moment,” Danny said. “I’ve never done anything like that in my life, and that’s something I’ll keep forever. I hope we gave the fans a good memory, too.”
Diego Garcia was unavailable for comment, on account of being three months old.
For his father, Danny, San Antonio is an exciting stop in a rising career.
Growing up in Dallas, Garcia was a star at the FC Dallas Academy, where he helped the academy win its first U-17/U-17 Development Academy championship in 2012, becoming the first MLS-affiliated academy to win the title.
He played a season at the University of North Carolina, where he was named ACC Freshman of the Year. Garcia turned pro after one collegiate season, signing with FC Dallas.
He had ups and downs with FC Dallas, making four MLS appearances in three seasons from 2013 to 2015. He spent much of 2015 on loan to the USL’s Arizona United.
“There are so many guys at the academy level, and breaking through was always that next step,” Garcia said. “I think coming here and playing with these great teammates is going to give me a big push.”
Garcia pointed to Saturday’s match as an example of the teammates helping him out. Garcia was inserted into the starting lineup on Saturday after coming in as a substitute for SAFC’s first match against Seattle.
He had two chances to score early in the match against Swope Park, but both missed. He said his teammates kept picking him up after the misses, and he confidently buried a goal on his next shot.
Riding high off his team’s success in the first two matches, Garcia said he’s thrilled about what SAFC might be able to accomplish in its inaugural season.
“We have so much potential,” Garcia said. “We’ve played well but I think we can do so much better, especially with finishing and putting teams away.”
One day, he’ll tell Diego Garcia all about it.