SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes have acquired $500k of General Allocation Money (GAM) from expansion side Austin FC in exchange for defender Nick Lima.
“Considering how much Nick means to our club, it’s hard to prepare yourself for a farewell,” said Earthquakes general manager Jesse Fioranelli. “Together we worked on building a homegrown career with a perspective and after four years, we realize all of us have so much more to look back on. As a person and as a player, Nick set a high standard in terms of work ethic and integrity that all young players can look up to. The same way Nick always wanted the best for the club, we wish him nothing but the best moving forward. We believe San Jose, Austin and Nick will all benefit from this opportunity and I would like to thank all parties involved for their role in getting this accomplished.”
Lima, a product of the Quakes Academy, signed with the Earthquakes as the second Homegrown Player in club history ahead of the 2017 season. He was an MLS Rookie of the Year finalist in 2017 and was named the club’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2018.
Lima tallied seven goals and seven assists in 100 appearances (94 starts) for San Jose over the last four seasons, while earning nine caps for the U.S. National Team.
“I have been fortunate to be a part of the Earthquakes organization for a long time, both at the youth and First Team levels,” said Lima. “I want to thank the Quakes for giving me a chance to begin my professional career with my hometown club and I’ll forever be grateful for the opportunity to play in front of my friends and family. I’m excited about this new opportunity with Austin FC and am looking forward to helping a new and exciting club make its mark on Major League Soccer in 2021.”
The Castro Valley, Calif. native is the first of the Quakes’ eight Homegrown signings to date to depart the club.
Transaction: San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) – Earthquakes acquire $500k of General Allocation Money (GAM) from Austin FC in exchange for D Nick Lima.
