Written by Juan Pereira

Photo by Houston Dynamo FC

David Garcia is only 17, but he is already one of many young Venezuelan players breaking through into the professional game in the United States. Garcia recently signed his first pro contract with Houston Dynamo 2, marking a major milestone in his career. He is only the seventh Dynamo Academy player in club history to sign a professional deal with DynaDos, joining current teammate Sebastian Rodriguez. 

“It’s amazing,” Garcia said about his new contract. “After all the hard work and sacrifices I’ve made, I’m glad to have signed here.” 

Before signing this deal, Garcia made 15 appearances for Houston Dynamo 2 over the past two years, recording one goal and one assist in that span. 

“David earned his professional debut with Dynamo 2 last year after demonstrating (a) consistent work ethic since he joined the club at the U-13 level,” Dynamo Assistant GM Nick Kowba said in a press release. “We are always proud to see a local player advance to the professional ranks in our club, and we look forward to his continued development in Houston.” 

In April, Venezuela qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup for only the third time in its history, and Garcia was part of that historic squad. He even featured in the decisive qualifying match against Uruguay. And although his international duty meant he had to spend some time away from the Dynamo, potentially missing valuable minutes, the experience of representing his country was as emotional as it was invaluable. 

“Whenever I go to Venezuela, I always learn new things,” Garcia said. “It’s South American football, so it’s very different. Whenever I go there, I learn things, and I come back and use them.” 

After some time away, Garcia is back and ready to make an impact, and the club has shown that they hope he will develop into a player with first-team quality. Marcelo Santos, Dynamo 2 head coach, will be tasked with bringing out the best of the young Venezuelan, who also has some personal goals he wants to achieve. 

“Right now, we’re pretty high up in the table, and I really like the way he coaches, his soccer IQ, and his tactics. It’s all great,” Garcia said about his head coach and the team. “I (also) have a list of things I want to achieve this season. I want to score more than 12 goals, make some starts with the team, make the playoffs, and hopefully get to the top of the table.” 

As of now, Houston Dynamo 2 sit fourth in the MLS NEXT Pro Western Conference and are only three points behind first place. If they keep their good run of form going, they’ll breeze into the playoffs and be one of the favorites to go all the way while also fielding one of the youngest squads in the league. Garcia is part of that exciting group of players, and if he continues to progress, a first-team debut might come sooner rather than later.