ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico United announced on Thursday the club had signed midfielder Jose Sosa ahead of its 2023 USL Championship season kickoff this weekend. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.

Sosa joins the professional ranks in New Mexico having most recently competed collegiately at UCLA, where he made 49 appearances and recorded two goals and seven assists across three seasons with the Bruins. The 23-year-old began his college career at Pacific University, where he was voted to the West Coast Conference’s All-Freshman Team in 2018 before transferring to the Bruins.

At UCLA, Sosa this past season earned All-Pac 12 Second Team honors as he started all 20 of the Bruins’ contest while helping the side advance to the third round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament.

“All I’ve ever wanted, since I was a kid, was to be able to play at the professional level,” said Sosa. “I’d like to thank New Mexico United for this special opportunity, and for making that dream a reality. I’m ready to get on the field and to make a difference in New Mexico.”

Sosa also featured over the past two USL League Two seasons for Capital FC, where he made 16 appearances and helped the side reach the postseason last summer. In 2021 he was voted to the USL League Two All-Western Conference Team.