Report: Jose Villarreal signed by Cruz Azul pending physical

Reports are coming in from ESPN Deportes that Jose Villarreal will be joining Cruz Azul along with other MLS players Rafael Baca and Michael Farfan pending physicals that are alleged to have taken place today. The LA Galaxy have no comment on the news, but this would explain Villarreal's cryptic tweet earlier in the week.

Jose Villarreal has been a hot prospect since he was signed in 2011 as a Homegrown Player. A LA native born in Inglewood in 1993, he's made appearances at every level of the US national team youth squads while making the league minimum as a non-Generation adidas Homegrown Player. The two GA Homegrown spots are occupied by Jack McBean and Gyasi Zardes.

With Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan occupying the forward spots, there's a bit of a bottleneck limiting the minutes the young prospects can get up top. Donovan's sabbatical allowed Villarreal and McBean to get forward minutes, but as the season progressed the reserve league was their only option. A loan deal would have kept Villarreal a Galaxy prospect, but Liga MX can offer Villarreal youth divisions beyond what LA might be able to offer next season with the USL-Pro side.