Nick Garcia, right, could make his debut for Toronto FC on Saturday. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press)Nick Garcia didn't take long to embed himself with Toronto FC.
Acquired in a trade with the San Jose Earthquakes on Tuesday, the veteran defender practised with Toronto for the first time Thursday morning and wasn't shy about delivering a few stiff tackles and shouting out instructions to his new teammates.
And that brought a smile to the face of Toronto general manager Mo Johnston, who gave up a third-round pick in the 2010 Major League Soccer draft to land Garcia.
"He's a great defender. He plays 90 minutes every week," Johnston told reporters. "Take a look at him out there. He's a competitor, he's great in the locker-room, he'll call guys out. He's a team leader, so we're excited to have him."
Johnston hopes the addition of Garcia, a veteran of 10 MLS seasons and one of the league's most experienced defenders, will help bolster the team's struggling defence. Toronto has conceded 21 goals this season, the third-worst defensive record in the 15-team league.
Garcia, 30, welcomes the pressure.
"For me, getting refreshed and rejuvenated and getting a new start here is good," he said. "Toronto needs someone like me in the back to organize things, so with me being one of the guys with the most MLS experience, I hope to help the guys around me."
The second pick overall in the 2000 draft, Garcia spent the first seven seasons of his MLS career with the Kansas City Wizards, before being dealt to San Jose two years ago.
Although there are few players in the league with more experience, Garcia admitted it'll take time for him to adjust to his new surroundings before he can be effective.
"That's something that's ongoing. I have to adjust and [my new teammates] have to adjust to me," Garcia said. "I don't know what the magic number is, in terms of days or games, but I think the sooner we can work things out the better we'll be."
He's also looking forward to playing before what he calls "the best fans in the league."
"My first time here was two years ago with Kansas City, and it was a good experience with a great crowd and great atmosphere," Garcia recalled.
Coach Chris Cummins wouldn't tip his hand as to whether Garcia will make his debut for Toronto FC in Saturday's home game against the New York Red Bulls.
He did heap praise on his new defender, though, echoing Johnston's evaluation of Garcia as an expert man-marker who is quick, tough and reads the game well.
"He brings a lot of experience to the team, he's a leader, and he's going to bring a lot of quality to the team that we've lacked in the last few weeks," Cummins stated.
Garcia could be the first of two defensive additions for Toronto FC, as Johnston said he hopes to make a deal for another defender.
"There's one more [player] we'd like to get. We'll see if it materializes," the GM said.
Part of the trade with San Jose also saw Toronto pick up the rights to Ali Gerba, a Canadian forward who became a free agent after recently being let go by English club MK Dons.
Johnston said he hopes to fly Gerba into town this weekend for negotiation purposes and sign the 27-year-old forward by early next week.
"I'm very confident I can get something done [on] Monday or Tuesday," Johnston revealed.
