Franco Jara

Acquired
FC Dallas signs forward Franco Jara to a pre-contract on January 21, 2020. Jara will be added as a Designated Player upon the opening of the Secondary Transfer Window in July.

Languages Spoken: Spanish

Professional

2021: With 12 starts out of the 29 match appearances, Jara recorded a total of 1,256 minutes in the MLS regular season. Jara was the team’s fourth highest scorer with seven goals in the year, while also contributing with two assists. His first goal of the season came from the penalty spot against Real Salt Lake in a 2-2 tie on May 22. Scored a late goal vs. Seattle Sounders in the 91st minute of the match to secure a point on the road on August 4. Also scored the game winner vs. Texas rivals Austin FC on October 30, after coming on as a sub in the 80th minute and scoring the goal in the same minute with his first touch of the game. Jara also appeared on the bench in the MLS Team of the Week in week 32.  

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2020:* Jara made his MLS debut for FC Dallas on August 12 vs. Nashville, played 59 minutes before being subbed off. Jara started in 16 MLS regular season matches out of 19 registering 1,388 minutes. Led the team with seven goals for the year. Recorded his first MLS goal was in the 9th minute of a 1-1 tie on September 2 vs. Sporting Kansas City. Scored his first FC Dallas brace in the 42nd and 48th minute of the match vs Sporting Kansas City on September 19. Scored his seventh goal of the season in the 19th minute of the Texas Derby vs. Houston Dynamo on October 31. Jara made his MLS Cup Playoffs and started in the two matches for FC Dallas. He also converted the second penalty of the shootout vs. Portland Timbers on November 22. Appeared in the MLS Team of the Week in week 12.

Scored 83 goals and recorded 19 assists in 169 appearances for Liga MX’s CF Pachuca since he joined in 2015. He was part of the team that won the 2016 Clausura that qualified them for the 2016-2017 Concacaf Champions League, where he scored six goals to help Pachuca win their fifth title, including two goals against FC Dallas in the Semifinals.

The Argentine striker started his soccer career in Arsenal de Sarandí’s youth system and made his professional debut for the Argentine’s Primera División team in a 1-0 loss against Argentinos Juniors on May 23 2008. Jara recorded nine goals and four assists in 50 appearances for the club before signing a five-year deal with Portuguese’s Primeira Liga side S.L. Benfica in 2010. While with Benfica, Jara scored 11 goals and added four assists in 47 appearances. He also had stints with Granada CF, San Lorenzo de Almagro and Estudiantes de La Plata between 2011-2014, recording nine goals and nine assists across all teams and competitions.

In 2015, Jara signed with Greek first-division team Olympiacos FC and scored six goals in 17 appearances, including the opening goal in the first half of the Greek Football Cup final against Skoda Xanthi FC that helped Olympiacos win their 27th Greek Cup title on May 23, 2015.

National Team
Jara has four appearances for the Argentina National Team. He was first called up on Jan. 19, 2010 and made his international debut for La Albiceleste in an international friendly match against Costa Rica on Jan. 27, where he scored the game-winning goal in the 3-2 win.