SAN DIEGO – San Diego Loyal SC announced on Wednesday it had signed Carlos Guzmán to its 2023 USL Championship roster, pending league and federation approval.

Guzmán joins SD Loyal having most recently competed for Club Queretaro of LigaMX, where he made 10 appearances and recorded 381 minutes of action in the 2023 Clausura. The 29-year-old has made 165 appearances overall in LigaMX’s regular season during his career, recording nine goals and 11 assists since making his debut in 2011.

A native of Morelia, Mexico, Guzmán has spent the majority of his career in the Mexican top flight after starting in the youth system of his hometown club Moncarcas Morelia in 2010. He ultimately earned a spot on the club’s First Team and later went on to play with Atletico San Luis, Puebla, Club Tijuana and Club Leon on loan. Guzmán also had stints with Liga de Expansion clubs Necaxa and Atletico Morelia before returning to Liga MX in 2022 with CD Toluca.

While with Club Tijuana during the 2015 Apertura, Guzmán was teammates with current SD Loyal midfielder Alejandro Guido.

The veteran defender also has youth national team experience. Guzmán was part of Mexico’s Under-17 team that won the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He was also called to Mexico’s Under-21 squad during the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games and won a silver medal with “El Tri” in the 2015 Pan American Games.