Only a few days have passed since news broke of San Diego FC potentially trying to seal the deal for San Jose defender, Oscar Verhoeven.

Somewhere in San Jose, Verhoeven was packing his personal belongings and hopping on a short, two-hour flight down the beautiful California coast to San Diego.

A day later, he was at the Sharp Healthcare Training Facility, joining the rest of the SDFC squad in practice. His journey continues in San Diego, where the competition for a starting defensive spot is fierce.

The 18-year-old comes to San Diego on loan through the end of the 2025 season with the option to buy.

San Jose received $100,000 GAM (General Allocation Money) for next season.

Oscar Verhoeven earned 21 caps at the U-17 and U-20 international levels for Team USA and had a part in playing at the U-17 FIFA World Cup in 2023.

He is touted as a standout defensive prospect with a high ceiling. The problem is that Verhoeven did not fit into Bruce Arena’s plans at San Jose, where a defensive line was established. When he struggled to get minutes with the first team, the Earthquakes wanted to do right by the young player and give him an opportunity to go somewhere he could have a real possibility of starting.

It is a smart decision from the Earthquakes’ side because they let him go when his ceiling is high.

This means that if they kept the prospect and he did not pan out to be the player everyone hoped he would be, the club would undoubtedly have a hard time moving him, let alone for $100K GAM. SDFC is willing to take on the risk, as they have recently signed other young players. The club stands by its philosophy of developing young talent, and now San Diego FC is putting its money where its mouth is.

Oscar Verhoeven will certainly have his hands full when it comes to battling for a spot on the first team as he joins the likes of Jasper Loffelsend, Willy Kumado, Luca Bombino, Franco Negri, Ian Pilcher, Andres Reyes, and Hamady Diop – all guys who can play the defensive winger position. San Diego is currently dealing with multiple injuries, and this move brings depth to the roster for Mikey Varas to choose from.

Verhoeven isn’t an overwhelming athlete but a technical, possession-style player. The team’s style of play will make him more comfortable in San Diego.

The sky is the limit when it comes to potential, and Mikey Varas will be looking to bring it all out of his newest signing – the 18-year-old Oscar Verhoeven.

Dmitry Anisimov

Dmitry Anisimov is a San Diego native who played soccer up to the college level when he represented the SDSU Men’s Club Soccer team. Growing up in San Diego, Dmitry is a fan of all the home teams but he specifically couldn’t wait until San Diego got an MLS team. Once that dream became reality, Dmitry married his love for writing and the game of soccer to portray a voice of the San Diego soccer community. There is a deep-rooted love of soccer culture in San Diego and Dmitry hopes to bring it to light through his pre and post-game coverage of all things San Diego FC.