Akeem García

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Akeem García

| fullname = Akeem Ancil García

| image = Akeem Garcia of HFX Wanderers FC in 2022.jpg

| image_size = 240

| alt = Akeem García smiling as he meets young fans at the stadium

| caption = García with HFX Wanderers FC in 2022

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|11|9|df=y}}

| birth_place = Chaguanas, Trinidad and Tobago

| height = 1.68 m

| position = Forward

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Arima Ball Masters

| years1 = 2013–2014

| clubs1 = San Juan Jabloteh

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 2014–2017

| clubs2 = W Connection

| caps2 =

| goals2 = 5

| years3 = 2017

| clubs3 = North East Stars

| caps3 = 12

| goals3 = 4

| years4 = 2018

| clubs4 = Santa Rosa

| caps4 = 16

| goals4 = 5

| years5 = 2019–2022

| clubs5 = HFX Wanderers

| caps5 = 68

| goals5 = 19

| nationalyears1 = 2011–2013

| nationalteam1 = Trinidad and Tobago U17

| nationalcaps1 = 6

| nationalgoals1 = 2

| nationalyears2 = 2012–2015

| nationalteam2 = Trinidad and Tobago U20

| nationalcaps2 = 10

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 2015–

| nationalteam3 = Trinidad and Tobago

| nationalcaps3 = 3

| nationalgoals3 = 0

| medaltemplates =

| pcupdate = 9 October 2022

| ntupdate = 14 October 2019

}}

Akeem Ancil García (born 9 November 1996) is a Trinidadian football coach and player.

Club career

=Early career=

García began playing football at age six with local club Arima Ball Masters.{{cite web |author1=Gary Griffiths |title=Akeem Garcia: The boy from Arima |url=https://socawarriors.net/foreign-based/22045-akeem-garcia-the-boy-from-arima.html |publisher=Soca Warriors Online |accessdate=7 November 2019 |date=3 October 2019}} At age 17, García signed for TT Pro League side San Juan Jabloteh.

=W Connection=

In 2014, García signed with W Connection, scoring five goals in two league appearances that season.{{cite web |title=Akeem Garcia |url=https://www.socawarriors.net/component/joomsport/player/55-tt-super-league-2018/843-akeem-garcia.html |publisher=Soca Warriors Online |accessdate=4 March 2020}} He received great recognition for his play that year and earned his first senior national team call-up in early 2015. Later that year during tryouts for the Trinidad and Tobago U23 team, García tore his ACL and after undergoing surgery missed a total of twelve months while recovering.

=North East Stars=

In 2017, García signed for his hometown club, North East Stars. He went on to score four goals in twelve league appearances that season as North East Stars won the TT Pro League, García's first league title. García also added another seven goals in other competitions that year.

=Santa Rosa=

In 2018, García followed North East Stars manager Derek King to TT Super League side Santa Rosa.{{cite web |author1=Gareth Hampshire |title=Wanderers announce first ever international player signings as Trinidad and Tobago quartet |url=https://hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca/article/wanderers-announce-first-ever-international-player-signings-as-trinidad-and-tobago-quartet |publisher=HFX Wanderers FC |accessdate=11 January 2019 |date=2019-01-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111055026/https://hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca/article/wanderers-announce-first-ever-international-player-signings-as-trinidad-and-tobago-quartet |archive-date=11 January 2019 |url-status=dead }} That season, he scored five goals in sixteen league appearances and ten goals in all competitions as Santa Rosa won the league title.{{cite web |title=Akeem Garcia |url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/58901/Akeem_Garcia.html |publisher=National Football Teams |accessdate=7 November 2019}} After the end of the season, García spent two weeks on trial with Mexican Ascenso MX side Celaya.

=HFX Wanderers=

File:Akeem Garcia of HFX Wanderers FC.jpg

== 2019 ==

On 10 January 2019, García signed with Canadian Premier League side HFX Wanderers, where Derek King had signed as an assistant manager. García scored the first goal in Wanderers history in the team's home opener on 4 May 2019.{{cite web |title=A. Garcia |url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/akeem-garcia/171977/ |publisher=Soccerway |accessdate=7 November 2019}} García finished the season with a team-leading seven league goals in 24 appearances, tying for seventh among the league's top scorers. On 7 November 2019, García re-signed with Halifax for the 2020 season.{{cite web |author1=Gareth Hampshire |title=Wanderers leading scorer Akeem Garcia returning for 2020 |url=https://hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca/article/wanderers-leading-scorer-akeem-garcia-returning-for-2020 |publisher=HFX Wanderers FC |accessdate=7 November 2019 |date=7 November 2019}}

== 2020 ==

García excelled in the shortened 2020 Canadian Premier League season. He was a major part of Halifax's drastic turnaround from their previous last place finish, and the Wanderers made it all the way to the final, where they were defeated by Forge FC. In total, García scored six goals in 10 matches, winning the Golden Boot.{{Cite web|date=2020-11-26|title=HFX Wanderers FC's Akeem Garcia collects 2020 CPL Golden Boot Award|url=https://canpl.ca/article/hfx-wanderers-fcs-akeem-garcia-collects-2020-cpl-golden-boot-award|access-date=2020-11-27|website=Canadian Premier League|language=en-CA}} On 3 November 2020, García re-signed with Halifax for the 2021 season.{{Cite web|date=2020-11-03|title=HFX Wanderers announce 12 returnees for 2021; N'Sa, Béland-Goyette released|url=https://canpl.ca/article/hfx-wanderers-announce-12-returnees-for-2021-nsa-beland-goyette-released|access-date=2020-11-27|website=Canadian Premier League|language=en-CA}}

== 2021 ==

García struggled to maintain his form from the previous season, managing to only score 2 goals in 22 appearances. The team as a whole was also unable to match their performance from 2020 and finished sixth in the league.{{Cite web |date=2022-04-06 |title=HFX Wanderers: 2022 Canadian Premier League Season Preview |url=https://hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca/article/hfx-wanderers-2022-canadian-premier-league-season-preview |access-date=2022-06-23 |website=Halifax Wanderers |language=en-US}} However, the forward was re-signed for the following season, as well.{{Cite web |date=2022-01-05 |title=Halifax Wanderers 2022 Roster Update |url=https://hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca/article/halifax-wanderers-2022-roster-update |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=Halifax Wanderers |language=en-US}}

== 2022 ==

During the 2022 CPL season, due to the ACL injury occurred to João Morelli,{{Cite web |date=2022-04-20 |title=HFX Wanderers' João Morelli to miss rest of 2022 season with torn ACL |url=https://canpl.ca/article/hfx-wanderers-joao-morelli-to-miss-rest-of-2022-season-with-torn-acl |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=Canadian Premier League}} García once again became the team's main attacking choice, together with Samuel Salter. He ended the year with four goals in 13 appearances, as the Wanderers finished second-to-last in the league table, missing out on the Finals for the second consecutive time.

At the end of the season, Halifax announced that García would put his playing career on hold, in order to work as a coach at a local grassroots club in Nova Scotia.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-28 |title=‘Excited to share my experience’: Akeem Garcia taking a break from football to pursue coaching opportunity in Halifax |url=https://hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca/article/excited-to-share-my-experience-akeem-garcia-taking-a-break-from-football-to-pursue-coaching-opportunity-in-halifax |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=Halifax Wanderers |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Jacques |first=John |date=2022-10-28 |title=Akeem Garcia Switches Focus To Coaching Career |url=https://northerntribune.ca/halifax-wanderers-akeem-garcia-coach/ |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=Northern Tribune |language=en-US}}

International career

=Youth=

García received his first youth call-up for Trinidad and Tobago as a 14 year-old at the 2011 CONCACAF U-17 Championship, but did not appear in the tournament. García was called up again in the following U17 cycle and played in all three matches of the Caribbean qualifying tournament for the 2013 CONCACAF U-17 Championship, scoring goals against the British Virgin Islands and Suriname. After Trinidad and Tobago qualified, García was called up again for the finals tournament, appearing in all three matches for Trinidad and Tobago against Canada, Costa Rica and the quarter-final loss to Panama.

As a 15 year-old, García first represented his country at the under-20 level in qualifying for the 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, making five appearances as Trinidad and Tobago ultimately failed to qualify. García was also eligible for the following U20 cycle and appeared in all five matches for Trinidad and Tobago at the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship.

García attended trials for the Trinidad and Tobago U23 team ahead of the Caribbean qualifying tournament for the 2015 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship, but missed the tournament after tearing his ACL.

=Senior=

García earned his first cap for the Trinidad and Tobago senior national team on 27 March 2015 in a friendly against Panama. He played the final 26 minutes of the match in a 0–1 loss.{{cite web |title=Trinidad and Tobago vs. Panama, 27 March 2015 |url=https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2015/03/28/world/friendlies/trinidad-and-tobago/panama/2013990/ |publisher=Soccerway |accessdate=11 January 2019}}

Following strong performances in the Canadian Premier League, on 4 October 2019 García was recalled to the national side for a CONCACAF Nations League match against Honduras on 10 October and a friendly against Venezuela on 14 October.{{cite web|url=https://hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca/article/wanderers-garcia-called-up-to-trinidad-and-tobago-squad|first=Gareth|last=Hampshire|title=Wanderers’ Garcia called up to Trinidad and Tobago squad|date=4 October 2019}}

Personal life

García was born in Chaguanas and grew up in the Calvary area of Arima.

Career statistics

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|National CupIncludes appearances in the Canadian Championship. !colspan="2"\|Other !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Club statistics
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="1"\|W Connection \|2014–15 \|TT Pro League \|2	5	0	0	0	0	2	5
rowspan="1"\|North East Stars \|2017 \|TT Pro League \|12	4	?	0	?	7	12	11
rowspan="1"\|Santa Rosa \|2018 \|TT Super League \|16	5	colspan="2"\|—	?	5	16	10
rowspan="5"\|HFX Wanderers \|2019 \|Canadian Premier League \|24	7	4	1	colspan="2"\|—	28	8
2020 \|Canadian Premier League \|9	6	0	0	1	0	10	6
2021 \|Canadian Premier League \|22	2	2	0	colspan="2"\|—	24	2
2022 \|Canadian Premier League \|13	4	2	1	colspan="2"\|—	15	5
colspan="2"\|Total !68	19	8	2	1	0	77	21
colspan="3"\|Career total !98	33	8	2	1	0	107	35