Nick Garcia

Veteran defender Nick Garcia joined Toronto FC at the beginning of June 2009 – just in time to be a part of TFC’s Nutrilite Championship victory in Montreal. The former Wizard was a member of the Kansas City team that won MLS Cup in 2000, the final year Director of Soccer Mo Johnston was a member of that team. Garcia’s experience in the league, and leadership in the locker room will once again be called upon in 2010 as the team looks for their first ever playoff run.

2009: Started 12 of 12 games with San Jose, and 13 of 13 with Toronto, compiling a total of 2,205 minutes…made his debut for TFC on 06/13/09 at home in a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls.

2008: Started 24 games … Debuted with Quakes on 4/3 at LA, playing 90 minutes in central defense … Helped team pick up first shutout on 4/19 at COL and received yellow card … Played 90 minutes on 4/27 at NY, cleared two balls off the goal line, and received yellow card … DNP – 5/17 at NE due to groin strain … Returned to starting lineup on 5/22 vs. HOU … Notched first assist of the season on 5/31 at RSL … DNP – 6/7 at CLB, 6/14 vs. LA, 6/18 at RSL and 6/22 at DC due to right MCL sprain … Returned to starting lineup, played 90 minutes on 6/28 at CHI … DNP - 7/19 at TOR due to yellow card accumulation … Had an assist and received yellow card on 8/16 vs. NE … Received yellow card on 9/27 vs. RSL … Picked up yellow card on 10/18 at KC.

2007: Started and played in 27 matches, logging 2,240 minutes … Missed just three games on the season … DNP – 5/26 at NE due to abdominal strain … Also missed matches on 4/14 vs. DC and 8/29 at RSL … Played full 90 minutes 19 times during the season … Helped Wizards to 11-12-7 record and a playoff berth … Notched only assist of season, setting up Yura Movsisyan’s game-winner on 7/29 vs. Chivas USA … Played in 200th game of his career on 4/28 at Toronto, a 1-0 KC win … Playoffs: Played full 90 minutes in all three postseason matches, helping the Wizards to the Western Conference Championship … Helped team post back-to-back shutouts against CHV on 10/27 and 11/3 in first round series.

2006: Ended the 2006 season tallying 2,519 minutes on the field and starting 29 games … Scored one goal for the Wizards and recorded three shots on goal ... Anchored a defense that posted its third shutout of the season at CLB on 6/10 ... Scored his first career goal in his 181st career match vs. DC on 6/28 ... Started 10th straight game, playing the full 90 vs. LA on 7/1.

2005: Started and appeared in 30 matches for Wizards ... Missed his only two games of the season, at NE on 8/6 and at CHI on 8/10, while serving a two-game suspension for a foul that took place at CLB on 7/23 ... Returned and appeared in the last 10 matches of the season ... Ended the 2005 season with 168 career appearances in a Wizards uniform, moving into third place in franchise history in games played (168), games started (168) and minutes played (15,219).

2004: Missed his first ever game due to injury vs. COL on 5/1 with inflammation in his right foot... Registered his first assist of the season vs. DAL 7/3 ... After playing most of the season at either right back to left back, Garcia moved into a central defense role in mid-September and helped the team to three consecutive 1-0 shutouts vs. SJ on 9/18, vs. CHI in USOC Final on 9/22 and vs. COL on 9/25 … Playoffs: Played every minute in the Wizards four postseason matches, including the MLS Cup Final vs. DC on 11/14.

2003: Appeared in 29 matches for the Wizards, starting all 29 contests and logging 2,689 minutes … Missed just one game in 2003 at COL on 7/4 due to a red card suspension… Started vs. SJ on 8/8 to mark his 100th career MLS start, becoming the 100th player in MLS history to reach that mark and also the youngest to start 100 games… Playoffs: Started and played every minute of the Wizards three postseason matches.

2002: Appeared in 27 of the Wizards 28 regular season matches … Registered his first career MLS point, assisting on Chris Klein’s goal at MET on 5/25.

2001: Appeared in 24 of 27 games, starting and playing every minute in all 24 games at both center back and right back ... The three matches he missed were due to suspensions … Playoffs: Played every minute of all three playoff matches against Miami.

2000: Made his MLS debut, starting as a central defender vs. CHI on 3/25 … Was a key part of a defensive unit that had a then MLS record 681-minute scoreless streak from 4/19 to 5/27 ... Helped the Wizards tie a league record with their 12th shutout of the season on 6/24 ... Finished the season by playing every minute of every game (2,916 minutes), setting the MLS rookie record and tying teammate Peter Vermes for third in minutes played in 2000... Playoffs: Played every minute of the Wizards seven postseason matches, including their win against the Chicago Fire to win MLS Cup 2000 … Helped anchor a Wizards back line that allowed just four goals in seven matches, including five shutouts.

International: Trained with the U.S. national team during first camp of 2005 in preparation for first World Cup Qualifying match ... Played the full 90 minutes in a friendly against Denmark on 1/18/04, his sixth career cap (as of March 1, 2005) ... Invited to the U.S. National Team’s first training camp of 2003 ... Made his first career appearance with the National Team on 1/18/03, coming on as a sub against Canada ... Was invited back to U.S. training camp for a pair of friendly matches against Argentina and Jamaica in February 2003 ... Made his first start for the U.S. against Jamaica 2/12/03 ... Was first called up for National Team duty shortly after the MLS Cup 2000 but did not appear in a match ... U-20: Twenty career caps and 46 appearances for the U.S. U-20 National Team … Scored one goal and had one assist in 1999 ... Scored six goals in 11 international appearances in 1998, including four during the CONCACAF U-20 qualifying tournament in Trinidad … Scored a pair of goals against Canada and another two against Trinidad & Tobago ... Made his U-20 debut on May 17, 1998 against Mexico ... Appeared in two international matches with the U-18 team in 1997 ... Member of 1997 U.S. U-17 World Championship team that competed in Ecuador ... Member of U-20 World Championship team in Nigeria in 1999.

College: Played three seasons for Indiana Hoosiers, helping them win back-to-back NCAA titles in 1998 and 1999 … Most Outstanding Defender of 1998 and 1999 College Cups … Named Soccer America’s Collegiate MVP and NSCAA First Team All-American in 1999 … Twice named Missouri Athletic Club Player of the Year Finalist and Hermann Trophy Finalist (1998, 1999) …Three-time All-Big Ten First Team selection…. NSCAA Second Team All-American in 1998 … National Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 1997.

Personal: Celebrated birth of first child, son, Cruz Garcia, with wife MeLinda in January of 2008 … Favorite player is Dutchman Clarence Seedorf ... enjoys fishing, playing cards, cooking, reading books and going on vacation, lists Bora Bora as favourite destination…majored in legal studies at Indiana...the Reality TV show he’d most like to appear on is “Iron Chef”…the best meal he cooks is Mexican…if he could be any action he’d be – Al Pacino…the player he’d most like to face in a game would be Lionel Messi…was a member of five consecutive championship teams, winning two high school state championships in 1996 and 1997, back-to-back NCAA titles with Indiana in 1998 and 1999.…was 1997 Gatorade National High School Player of the Year…has been involved with Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, CASA and Big Brothers/Big Sisters …can play the saxophone.