The San Jose Earthquakes acquired a center back using Targeted Allocation Money on Thursday. Here are seven things to know about Guram Kashia:
- He competed for Vitesse of the Dutch Eredivisie since August of 2010, making 293 total appearances for the side across all competitions and tallying 25 goals and 18 assists.
- During the 2017-18 season, Kashia started all but two league matches, tallying three goals and an assist. Vitesse finished with 13-11-10 record, a sixth-place finish and +16 goal-differential, before earning a spot in the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round with four straight postseason victories.
- For the past two seasons, Kashia has played alongside U.S. National Team member Matt Miazga in the center of Vitesse’s defense.
- Kashia led Vitesse to the domestic KNVB Cup championship in 2016-17, starting all but one of their six games and recording a goal and an assist. In his five starts, the club outscored their opponents 12-2, including a 2-0 victory over eventual league champions Feyenoord in the quarterfinals.
- He was named the Georgian Footballer of the Year in 2012 and 2013 and the Eredivisie Player of the Month in August of 2015.
- Kashia has competed for the Georgia National Team since his international debut in 2009. He has tallied two goals and an assist in 64 appearances, including 19 matches as part of FIFA World Cup qualifying. He recently scored a 90th-minute winner against Malta on June 1, 2018.
- Kashia has played alongside Quakes’ Designated Player Vako for both Vitesse (2011-17) and the Georgia National Team (2014-present)
