FC Dallas have made a name for themselves in MLS for giving youth a chance, and have one of the strongest academy set-ups in the league. On Saturday, they enhanced their reputation when they signed 20-year-old Ecuadorian international Carlos Gruezo from Stuttgart, pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate.

Oscar Pareja is thrilled

"His versatility will give us the opportunity to play a variety of formations, but [the] most important for me is to see a player who, despite his age, has been at the highest level of international competition and has played at different positions, which makes me think we can use him in a variety of roles, and that is important in Major League Soccer," said FC Dallas manager Oscar Pareja.  "The experience he has representing his country at different tournaments around the world is important for a player’s development. With the young core we have on our roster, another international player like Gruezo makes the entire group better."

Gruezo's international pedigree

There was no hyperbole in Pareja's words. The 20-year-old midfielder was the fourth youngest player at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where he started Ecuador's 2-1 loss to Switzerland in the Group Stage. Gruezo was the second youngest player to start a match in Brazil; he was only older than England left back Luke Shaw. He's spent the last two years with Stuttgart of Germany's Bundesliga, where he has made 18 appearances in addition to earning 10 caps for his country.

FC Dallas' young core

As mentioned earlier, Dallas has one of the strongest groups of young players in the league. The club now boasts 15 players who are 25 or younger on their roster, a number of whom played critical roles in one of the most successful seasons in their history last year. The Toros missed out on the Supporters' Shield to the New York Red Bulls on goal difference, and made it to the Western Conference Final where they were defeated by the eventual MLS Cup Champion Portland Timbers. Pareja will be hoping the Gruezo can help them get over the hump next season and capture some silverware.

The Toros opened preseason camp on Saturday in preparation for their MLS season opener on March 6th against the Philadelphia Union at Toyota Stadium.

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About the author
Liam McMahon
American sports journalist based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin who has been affiliated with VAVEL for more than a year. Co-editor of the soccer section at VAVEL USA and international football writer at VAVEL UK.