SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that the club has signed Homegrown defender Nick Lima to a new multi-year contract.
“From the beginning of my time with the Quakes, it has meant the world to me to be able to play for my hometown club,” said Lima. “From the minute that I signed my first contract, the support that I have received has been beyond all expectations. I am very excited to extend my stay with the Quakes and will continue to give everything I have for this club because so far, it has given me more than I could ask for.”
A native of the Castro Valley, Calif., Lima originally joined the Quakes on Dec. 21, 2016 as the club’s second-ever Homegrown Player.
Lima, 23, has made 36 starts in 38 appearances to date, scoring three goals and providing two assists in his one and a half seasons with club. Earlier this year, Lima joined the U.S. Men’s National Team for the January Camp in Carson, Calif., and was named to the 18-man roster for a friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina on January 28.
In his rookie season of 2017, Lima tallied two goals and one assist in 22 appearances (20 starts). He was named to the MLS Team of the Week following his professional debut in the season opener, where he helped shut out the Montreal Impact and superstar winger Ignacio Piatti. He was later named a Team of the Week honorable mention in Week 2 after scoring his first-career goal against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Despite sustaining an injury that cut his season short, he finished fourth in voting for MLS Rookie of the Year and earned the second most votes among all Western Conference players.
“Nick has the passion and technical skills that differentiate him from his competitors on the pitch,” said Earthquakes general manager Jesse Fioranelli. “He is very driven and sets high expectations for himself, which helps us grow us a team. Nick also has a special relationship with our fans because of his ascension through the academy pipeline to the First Team and proudly sets an example for others. Nick brings a unique talent to the Quakes, and we are happy to have him as part of the family for several seasons to come.”
Lima was a standout student-athlete at the University of California. During his four years with the Golden Bears, Lima made 51 starts in 70 total appearances and tallied six goals and nine assists. As a senior, he was named NCAA Division I Men's All-Far West Region First Team and First-Team All-Pac-12. In his junior season, Lima received NCAA Division I Men's All-Far West Region First Team and First-Team All-Pac-12 honors. He was also named Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 as a sophomore in 2014.
In addition to competing for the Quakes Academy, Lima also played for the then Earthquakes’ Premier Development League affiliate Burlingame Dragons FC during the 2015 and 2016 seasons and trained extensively with the First Team over the years. He attended Castro Valley High School where he was a two-sport athlete, excelling at both soccer and football.
Transaction: San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) – Earthquakes sign D Nick Lima to new multi-year contract.
