The San Jose Earthquakes, whose 23 goals scored this season are the third-fewest in Major League Soccer, announced Wednesday they have signed Swedish-Eritrean striker Henok Goitom as a Discovery Player, using Targeted Allocation Money.
Goitom, 31, has played professionally in Italy, Spain and Sweden, and netted 53 goals, with 24 assists, in 114 games across all competitions for his hometown club, AIK Solna of Sweden's top division. The 6-2, 170-pounder scored 14 goals in 109 La Liga appearances for four different teams, the most recent being two games with Getafe at the end of the 2015-16 season. Overall, he has 78 goals and 31 assists in 268 professional games, including time spent in the Spanish second division.
"Henok is a proven goalscorer that will add punch to our offense,'' Earthquakes general manager John Doyle said. "We think he will be a great fit for the club both on the field and in the locker room.''
Goitom, who was born in Sweden to Eritrean parents, played for Sweden's youth national teams, but last September requested and was granted permission from FIFA to play for Eritrea, for whom he has played two games and scored one goal. Though MLS's secondary transfer window is closed, Goitom was able to be signed by the Earthquakes because he was out of contract.
