SAN JOSE, Calif. –
The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that the club has signed Costa Rica National Team forward Marcos Ureña to a multi-year contract using Targeted Allocation Money, pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and ITC.
Ureña, 26, has represented Costa Rica at the U-17, U-20 and senior team levels. Since making his senior team debut at 19 years old in 2009, he has tallied 10 goals and three assists in 45 appearances. He also played in four of the team’s five matches at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and scored one minute into his appearance off the bench in a
3-1 win
over Uruguay. He played a critical role in the team reaching the quarterfinals of the prestigious tournament, before falling to the Netherlands in penalty kicks.
He comes to San Jose after six months with Brondby IF of the top-flight Danish Alka Superligaen, where he appeared in 16 matches, including a pair of Europa League qualifiers. Brondby currently ranks second in the Danish Superliga with a 12-3-6 record.
“We don’t just look at a player’s merits or international appearances,” said Earthquakes general manager Jesse Fioranelli. “We focus more on the player’s skillset to understand whether or not they match what the team needs. Marcos is a very attack-minded player that will be a very important element in binding our midfield and attack. He has great technique and can make many key passes while covering a lot of ground. I think he’s going to be an exciting player for us.”
Ureña began his career with LD Alajuelense of the Costa Rican’s first division at just 17 years old. During his four years with the team, he tallied nine goals and two assists and helped lead his club to the league championship in both the winter and summer sessions of the 2010-11 season.
The San Jose, Costa Rica native then moved to Russian side Kuban Krasnodar just days before his 21st birthday. He tallied two assists in 36 appearances for the club, before joining FC Midtjylland of Denmark on loan in August of 2014. Ureña then agreed to move permanently to the club upon the expiration of his loan in December of 2014. With FC Midtjylland, he tallied six goals and six assists in 38 appearances and helped the side win the Superliga with a 22-6-5 record. He later moved to Brondby in July of 2016.
“I think he’s going to be a good addition to the team,” said Earthquakes head coach Dominic Kinnear. “He’s a Costa Rican international, who’s played in some big tournaments. We brought him here to score goals and help us win and that’s what we expect of him.”
Transaction:
San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) – Earthquakes sign
F Marcos Ureña
using Targeted Allocation Money.
Marcos Ureña
Position: Forward
Height: 5-9
Weight: 165
Born: Mar. 5, 1990 in San Jose, Costa Rica
Hometown: San Jose, Costa Rica
Last Club: Brondby IF (Denmark)
College: N/A
Citizenship: Costa Rica
