Longtime captain departs as Earthquakes’ roster shakeup continues

After a last-place end within the MLS, the San Jose Earthquakes have been sure to look completely different subsequent season.

With a high-profile new coach already in hand, the Earthquakes continued to reshape their roster with a pair of transactions Wednesday.

Whereas San Jose stated farewell to longtime midfielder Jackson Yueill, the Earthquakes welcomed defender Nick Lima as the primary free-agent addition beneath coach and sporting director Bruce Enviornment.

Lima signed a two-year contract with a membership choice for 2027 in a full-circle transfer that brings the Castro Valley native again to the place he started his professional profession.

Lima, 30, graduated from the Quakes Academy in 2016 and signed a homegrown participant contract with San Jose, the place he performed his first 4 skilled seasons. After being traded from Austin FC to the New England Revolution final season, he began 20 of 25 matches whereas contributing one aim. In eight seasons, he has scored 9 occasions and assisted on 20 different targets over 16,775 profession minutes whereas additionally incomes 9 caps for the U.S. nationwide staff in CONCACAF competitors.

“I’m really excited to get back to the Bay Area and play in front of everyone again, especially friends and family,” Lima stated within the launch. “I made some great memories with the Quakes in the past, and I look forward to making even better ones. I can’t wait to get back to work.”

Lima turned the fourth former New England participant to hitch the Earthquakes this offseason after the membership swung a commerce final week to accumulate defender Dave Romney and midfielders Ian Harkes and Mark-Anthony Kaye from the Revolution.

And that’s not all of the motion between the 2 golf equipment.

Yueill, who spent his first eight skilled seasons with the Earthquakes, signed a three-year deal to hitch New England.

A Minnesota native who was named captain in 2021, the 27-year-old attacker was one of many few vibrant spots in an in any other case darkish stretch for the Earthquakes, who went a league-worst 6-25-3 in 2024. A primary-round choose in 2017, Yueill went on to amass 13 targets and 19 assists over 232 profession matches, tallying the sixth-most minutes of any participant within the MLS since 2020.

The Earthquakes commemorated his time with the membership with a spotlight video posted on social media.

From his first contact to his final aim, Jackson Yueill has left his mark on the Quakes. 🖤💙

Thanks for the reminiscences, Jackson! pic.twitter.com/OV2MauMzXa

Initially Revealed: December 18, 2024 at 5:13 PM PST