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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eric Humberto Avila | ||
| Date of birth | (1987-11-24)November 24, 1987 (age 38) | ||
| Place of birth | San Diego, California, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder,defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005 | Chivas USA | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2007 | UC Santa Barbara Gauchos | 66 | (15) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006 | San Fernando Valley Quakes | 3 | (0) |
| 2007 | Ventura County Fusion | 10 | (1) |
| 2008–2011 | FC Dallas | 63 | (3) |
| 2011–2012 | Toronto FC | 33 | (2) |
| 2013–2014 | Chivas USA | 57 | (3) |
| 2015 | Santos Laguna | 0 | (0) |
| 2015 | →Orlando City (loan) | 21 | (1) |
| 2016 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 30 | (4) |
| 2017 | Phoenix Rising | 11 | (1) |
| 2018 | ASC San Diego | 7 | (1) |
| 2018 | Las Vegas Lights | 22 | (0) |
| 2019 | Birmingham Legion | 30 | (0) |
| 2020 | San Diego Loyal | 8 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2003–2005 | United States U17 | 20 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | United States U20 | 10 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2022– | Birmingham Legion (assistant) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Eric Humberto Avila (born November 24, 1987) is an American professionalsoccer player who has played as amidfielder anddefender.
Avila who is ofMexican descent, was born on November 24, 1987, inSan Diego,California, to Julio and Maria Avila.[1][2] Avila was raised in theCarlsbad andEncinitas area and started playing soccer with anAmerican Youth Soccer Organization team.[3] He later played club soccer for the San Diego Crusaders andLa Jolla Nomads.[3] With the Nomads, he helped the team to the 2002US Club Soccer national championship.[3][4]
He attendedLa Costa Canyon High School for two years and played for their boys' soccer program.[2][3] He was named theCIF San Diego Section's Avocado League MVP as a sophomore for the Mavericks.[2] He finished his last two years of high school with theUnited States U-17 Residency Program inBradenton, Florida.[2][3] Upon his return to California, Avila was briefly a member ofChivas USA's U-19 club.[5]
Prior to enrolling in college, Avila was ranked as the 2nd best midfielder and 6th best prospect overall in the class of 2005 by StudentSportsSoccer.com.[6] Avila was recruited with a scholarship to attend theUniversity of California, Santa Barbara by head coachTim Vom Steeg.[3] Avila was the marquee signing in a class that contained future professionalsChris Pontius,Alfonso Motagalvan, andRyan Kenny.[7]
As a freshman on theUC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer team in 2005, he started 21 games while scoring three goals and assisting on five more.[8] Avila was named to the College Soccer News All-Freshman First Team as well as being theBig West Conference Freshman of the Year.[3][9][10] As a sophomore, Avila started 25 games, scoring eight goals to go along with five assists.[11] He scored the national championship-winning goal in the2006 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship final over theUCLA Bruins.[3][12][13][14] He was named to the All-College Cup team.[15] As a junior, Avila appeared in 20 games, starting 18 of them. He scored four more goals and added eight assists.[16] He left UCSB to pursue a professional career at the conclusion of the season and finished his Gaucho career with 66 games played, 15 goals, and 18 assists.[17]
During his college years, Avila also played in theUSL Premier Development League for theSan Fernando Valley Quakes[18] andVentura County Fusion.[19]
Avila decided to forgo his senior season as professional clubs started to show interest. Avila decided to sign aGeneration Adidas contract and he was subsequently drafted in the 2nd round (19th overall) byFC Dallas in the2008 MLS SuperDraft.[17]
Avila made his MLS debut forFC Dallas as an 85th-minute substitute against theHouston Dynamo in a 1–1 tie on June 26, 2008.[20] He earned his first MLS career assist on a header byAbe Thompson during stoppage time helpingFC Dallas to a 1–1 tie against theKansas City Wizards on July 4, 2008.[21] and scored his first senior goal on June 20, 2009, in a game againstColumbus Crew.[22]
During the2010 MLS Cup Playoffs, he scored the winning goal in the 88th minute to give Dallas a win overReal Salt Lake in the first leg of the Western Conference semifinals, helping the Red Stripes win the series, 3–2, on aggregate as Dallas made its first-everMLS Cup appearance.
In December 2008, Avila traveled to England with fellowFC Dallas teammatesBruno Guarda,Josh Lambo, andAnthony Wallace along with otherGeneration Adidas players for friendlies against the reserve squads ofChelsea,Reading, andAston Villa. He graduated from the MLSGeneration Adidas program at the end of the 2010 season.[23] In July 2011 it was announced that Avila had been transferred on loan toF.C. Atlas for 6 months, but the loan deal fell through.[24]
On August 2, 2011, FC Dallas traded Avila toToronto FC forMaicon Santos and aninternational roster spot (through the remainder of the 2011 season).[25][26] Four days later Avila made his debut for the team againstD.C. United in a 3–3 away draw.[27] Avila scored his first goal for Toronto on August 27 in a 1–1 home draw againstSan Jose Earthquakes.[28] Avila scored his first goal of the 2012 season againstReal Salt Lake April 28 in a 3–2 away defeat.[29]
When Avila's contract expired at the end of the 2012 season he elected to participate in the2012 MLS Re-Entry Draft. On December 14, 2012, Avila was selected byColorado Rapids in stage two of the draft.[30] About a month later, Avila was traded toChivas USA forNick LaBrocca.[31] Avila went on trial withC.D. Guadalajara of theLiga MX on two occasions but the club never signed him. There was also speculation thatSantos Laguna were going to sign him but the negotiations seemed to stop.[32]
Avila joined Orlando on loan fromSantos Laguna. He scored his first goal on May 17, 2015, againstLA Galaxy in whichOrlando City SC won 4–0. Avila made 21 appearances for Orlando in 2015, totaling 1,325 minutes of play.
On February 26, 2016, Avila joined theTampa Bay Rowdies on a one-year contract with a club option for 2017.[33]
Avila signed withPhoenix Rising FC on April 28, 2017.[34]
For the 2018 season he was on the roster atNPSL team ASC San Diego.[35]
Following his retirement from playing, Avila coached theSan Diego Nomads U-15 team inMLS Next in 2021 and early 2022. On March 3, 2022, Avila returned toBirmingham Legion to serve as the Legion's Academy director and first team assistant coach.[36]
Avila entered the US U17 Residency Program inBradenton, Florida in the fall of 2003.[37] He made his first appearance with US U-17's at the age of 15 against England. He went on to earn 9 international caps with the U-17's, appearing in 15 total matches. The total was the highest of the 1987 boys class. His last appearance came in Spring of 2005.[37]
He helped lead the U.S. to the finals of the Ballymena International Tournament held inNorthern Ireland, which he regards as one of his most memorable moments in sports. He also participated in the Mondial Minimes Montaigu Vendee Tournament held in France. In addition to tournaments, he played in a number of matches againstMajor League Soccer teams, includingLos Angeles Galaxy,Chicago Fire, andColumbus Crew, while scoring the game-tying goal in a friendly against theSan Jose Earthquakes.
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs[a] | Cup[b] | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| San Fernando Valley Quakes | 2006[18] | PDL | 3 | 0 | – | – | – | 3 | 0 | |||
| Ventura County Fusion | 2007[19] | PDL | 10 | 1 | – | – | – | 10 | 1 | |||
| FC Dallas | 2008 | MLS | 14 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | – | 16 | 0 | ||
| 2009 | 18 | 1 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 19 | 1 | ||||
| 2010 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | 21 | 2 | |||
| 2011 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | ||
| Total | 63 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 4 | ||
| Toronto FC | 2011 | MLS | 9 | 1 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 24 | 1 | – | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 1 | |||
| Total | 33 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 2 | ||
| Chivas USA | 2013 | MLS | 28 | 3 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 29 | 3 | ||
| 2014 | 29 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 30 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 57 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 3 | ||
| Santos Laguna | 2014–15 | Liga MX | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015–16 | Liga MX | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Orlando City (loan) | 2015 | MLS | 21 | 1 | – | 3 | 0 | – | 24 | 1 | ||
| Tampa Bay Rowdies | 2016 | USL | 30 | 4 | – | 2 | 0 | – | 32 | 4 | ||
| Phoenix Rising | 2017 | USL | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – | 13 | 2 | |
| ASC San Diego | 2018 | NPSL | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 7 | 1 | ||
| Las Vegas Lights | 2018 | USL | 22 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 23 | 0 | ||
| Birmingham Legion | 2019 | USL Championship | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 29 | 0 | |
| Career total | 284 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 309 | 18 | ||
UC Santa Barbara
FC Dallas
Toronto FC
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