Matías Almeyda keeps preparing the 2021 MLS season under San Jose Earthquakes. The Argentine will face his tenth year at the managerial role after making his breakthrough to the job on a difficult time for River Plate at the second division. Several years after that first step as a coach, the former Argentine international midfielder is looking to upgrade San Jose's quality to get better results.
With the energy focused on what will be a challenging new soccer season and aiming to improve the 8th position finish from last year, the Quakes have made interesting adquisitions to strengthen their roster.
But San Jose not only added some new players to their team, but by doing so they reunited footballers formerly coached by Almeyda. With the landing of Javier Eduardo Lopez, Eric Remedi and Luciano Abecasis, now there are seven players on the squad that have previously worked under the Argentine. Take a look at these footballers.
Daniel Vega
The veteran goalkeeper has had a long career in Argentinian soccer before living the experience abroad and then settling in the US. After making his breakthrough at Nueva Chicago, local giants River Plate acquired him. He stayed there for a long time, even when the team was relegated and Almeyda stepped in as the coach. In that second division campaign he was coached by the current Quakes boss.
Andrés Ríos
Another man originally from River Plate, where he played under Almeyda's tenure to get back the Millonario to the top flight. Despite he looked as a promising player for the club, he didn't stay for too long and then played for a number of teams before arriving to San Jose.
Luciano Abecasis
The recent signing also has a number of years playing soccer and met Almeyda at River Plate. Abecasis is a right-back who had some trouble to being a starter until he found more minutes at Godoy Cruz. After a short spell at Lanús, he went to Libertad the Paraguay before making this important movement to reunite with Almeyda.
Oswaldo Alanís
Alanís was part of the succesful stint of the Argentine as Chivas de Guadalajara's first team manager. The defender has played an important role to that team and some years after he and Almeyda took separate ways, he joined San Jose to be under his leadership again.
Javier Eduardo López
Another player who met Almeyda at those triumphant years at Chivas, he is younger than the footballers previously mentioned and also performs as an attacking player. He landed at San Jose on January on loan for the 2021 season and looks set to be an important piece for the coach's plans for the MLS campaign.
Carlos Fierro
Almeyda not only signed midfielders or defensive players for his San Jose team. Fierro is the striker that the Argentine coach added to the squad after having him in his Chivas' spell. Those years seem quite clear to have delighted the manager as he now works with three players from those times.
Eric Remedi
One of the latest signings from San Jose, Remedi is the only player from this list that didn't met Almeyda at River or Chivas: he did it at Banfield, when the Argentine led their return to the first division. After succeding at that club, he moved to the US to play for Atlanta United. So apart from adquiring a known-face for the coach, the Quakes have a good midfilder with MLS experience.
