SAN JOSE, Calif. –San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Carlos Gruezo (Ecuador) and forward Ousseni Bouda (Burkina Faso) have been called up by their respective senior national teams for the upcoming international window.
Both players, along with teammates Michael Baldisimo (Philippines), Cruz Medina (U.S. Under-19), and Emi Ochoa (Mexico U-20) will be unavailable for the Quakes’ home contest against Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday, March 23, presented by QuakeInsurance.
Gruezo, 28, has been named to the Ecuador Men’s National Team for a pair of international friendlies at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. Ecuador will face Guatemala on Thursday, March 21 (5:30 p.m. PT), and Italy on Sunday, March 24 (1 p.m. PT). La Tri is preparing for Copa América this summer, with the team’s tournament opener on Saturday, June 22, at Levi’s Stadium – the site of two Quakes home games in 2024.
The Santo Domingo, Ecuador, native has earned 54 caps for the Ecuador National Team, including the 2014 FIFA World Cup and multiple Copa América tournaments. He has featured in all but one match for the 2026 World Cup qualifying group stages, making four starts in five appearances. Gruezo has been a key starter for the Quakes, making 32 appearances since signing with San Jose as a Designated Player for a club-record fee ahead of the 2023 season.
Bouda, 23, will represent Burkina Faso in a couple of international friendlies this month in Casablanca, Morocco. Burkina Faso will first face Libya on Friday, March 22, before challenging Niger on Tuesday, March 26.
The Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, native made his national team debut in a 3-1 victory over Eswatini on June 7, 2022, and featured in Les Étalons’ African Cup of Nations qualifying match last year. The eighth overall selection in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft out of Stanford University, Bouda has made 27 appearances across three seasons for the Quakes, making his MLS debut on March 3, 2022. The forward scored his first career goal against the LA Galaxy last season.
