Calling it a historic moment for Monterey Bay FC, club Chairman and Chief Soccer Officer Oliver Wyss announced the signing of US national team and MLS star Sebastian Lletget. The midfielder began training with the team this week and may be available for selection on Saturday night, when MBFC plays host to El Paso.
“We want to win the championship,” Lletget said. “That’s why I’m here.”
The signing, which had been rumored for a few weeks on social media, was announced officially on Thursday, March 12. According to Wyss, the undisclosed deal took a month of negotiations once they began in earnest, which included a visit to Monterey by the former LA Galaxy and FC Dallas standout to meet players and staff. But Wyss points out that Lletget had been on the club’s target list for longer.
Lietget said a Zoom meeting with the front office piqued his interest.
“There’s pure alignment,” he said of the team’s approach. “It’s really hard to win if people are on different pages. It doesn’t work.”
Head coach Jordan Stewart expects the new acquisition to have an immediate impact, on and off the pitch, citing Lletget’s leadership and experience.
“Sebastian’s quality, vision and speed of thought is at a high level,” he says. “He can help create. It’s a great signing for us.”
The 33-year-old Lletget began his career with West Ham United in the English Premier League, making his first appearance in 2014. He joined MLS side LA Galaxy the next year, making 158 appearances and scoring 23 goals before landing with FC Dallas in 2022.
He made 33 appearances with the US national team between 2017-2021.
Lletget played against his new coach when Stewart was with the San Jose Earthquakes toward the end of a career spanning two decades. Who won?
“I was playing at LA Galaxy,” Lletget says with a laugh. “I’ll leave it at that.”