Diego Abarca (born June 19, 2005) is an American professional soccer player who plays for Austin FC II in MLS Next Pro.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | June 19, 2005 | ||
| Place of birth | El Paso, Texas, United States | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Austin FC II | ||
| Number | 77 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2020–2022 | El Paso Locomotive | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2024 | El Paso Locomotive | 16 | (1) |
| 2024– | Austin FC II | 15 | (2) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:35, October 8, 2024 (UTC) | |||
Career
editEl Paso Locomotive
editAs part of the El Paso youth academy, Abarca signed a USL Academy contract allowing him to play in professional games in 2021.[1][2] He made his professional debut on March 24, 2022, against Las Vegas Lights.[3] He started and played 58 minutes.[4][5]
He scored his first professional goal against Hartford Athletic on June 5, 2022,[6] three minutes after coming on as a substitute for fellow Academy member Venancio Calderon.[7] This goal later won Locomotive Goal of the Year.[8] He also became the youngest player to score a goal for Locomotive.[9] On October 28, 2022, Abarca signed a fully professional contract with El Paso ahead of the 2023 season.[10][11][12][13][5]
Austin FC II
editOn 20 June 2024, Abarca was signed by Austin FC II through the 2024 season with two two-year options.[14]
Personal life
editBorn in the United States to Chilean parents, his father, José, was a footballer for Unión Española and his mother, Sandra Ramírez, is the cousin of the former Chile international footballer, Jorge Acuña.[15]
Career statistics
editClub
edit- As of October 6, 2024[16]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| El Paso Locomotive FC | 2022 | USL Championship | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 8 | 1 | ||
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | ||
| Austin FC II | 2024 | MLS Next Pro | 15 | 2 | – | – | – | 15 | 2 | |||
| Career total | 31 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 3 | ||
- Notes
References
edit- ^ "Youth Soccer Academy Signings". El Paso Locomotive Youth Soccer Club. 2021-09-22. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
- ^ "How El Paso Locomotive found success without Diego Luna". Backheeled. July 12, 2022.
- ^ "El Paso Locomotive Ends Dramatic Match Against Las Vegas Lights, 4-5". El Paso Locomotive FC. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
- ^ "El Paso Locomotive FC vs. Las Vegas Lights FC - Football Match Summary - March 23, 2022 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
- ^ a b "Locomotive sign eight local youths to Academy contracts, can play USL games". El Paso Times.
- ^ "Diego Abarca Stuns with First Professional Goal". El Paso Locomotive FC. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
- ^ "Go, Go, Diego! El Paso's Abarca grabs memorable first goal". USL Championship. 2022-06-05. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
- ^ "End of Year Awards 2022". El Paso Locomotive FC. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
- ^ "El Paso Locomotive vs Hartford Athletic ends in 1-1 Draw - El Paso Herald Post". 2022-06-05. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
- ^ "Locomotive FC makes landmark signings, Academy products Abarca, Maldonado turn pro". USL Championship. October 28, 2022.
- ^ "Locomotive FC signs pair of Academy players to pro contracts for first time in club history". October 28, 2022.
- ^ Murray, Nicholas (March 8, 2023). "11 Young Players to Know ahead of this USL Championship season". USL Championship.
- ^ "Locomotive sign eight local youths to Academy contracts, can play USL games". Yahoo News. 22 March 2023.
- ^ "Austin FC II Signs Midfielder Diego Abarca". AustinFC.com. Austin FC II. June 20, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ Vega, Diego (13 May 2022). "El sobrino del 'Kike' Acuña que juega en Estados Unidos y sueña con la Roja". Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 September 2024.
- ^ Diego Abarca at Soccerway
External links
edit- Diego Abarca at Soccerway.com
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