Jose Villarreal

How Acquired: Signed by the Galaxy as a Homegrown player on December 22, 2011.

The club’s second Homegrown signing in as many years, Villarreal will look to adapt to the professional game while learning from many of the club’s experienced international attacking players. Clever and skillful while always looking to attack, he is expected to get his chance to show his talents primarily in the Reserve League this season while learning more about life as a pro.

Academy Highlights

2011: Officially joined the Galaxy Academy U-18’s ahead of the start of the 2011-12 season. He scored three times in six games for the team before signing with the first team as a Homegrown player. Prior to joining the Galaxy, Villarreal, whose brother plays for the club’s U-16 team, helped lead Pateadores to the 2011 U.S. Soccer Development Academy National Championship, scoring 20 goals in 31 games for the club. Prior to joining Pateadores, Villarreal represented South Bay Force, a partner club of the Galaxy Academy.

National Team

Played for the U.S. Under-18 National Team at the 2011 Milk Cup in Northern Ireland in July, tallying one assist while starting all three games at the tournament. He was called into the Under-23 National Team in November 2011 for a camp in Germany, playing in a friendly with Azerbaijan. He trained with the U.S. Under-20 National Team in Florida prior to the start of the Galaxy preseason in January 2012.