Héctor Benjamín "Benji" Joya Jiménez (born September 22, 1993) is an American professional
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
player who plays as a
midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...
.
Club career
Santos Laguna
Joya, who is of
Mexican descent grew up in the
Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose. The Association of Bay Area Governments ...
of California, played in the USSF Development Academy for De Anza Force. In early 2012, he joined
Santos Laguna
Club Santos Laguna S.A. de C.V., simply known as Santos Laguna or Santos, is a Mexican professional football club based in Torreón, Coahuila. The club competes in Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football.
Founded in 1983 as Club Santos I ...
's organization. He began playing during the 2012 Clausura with the club's U-20 team. In September 2012, the midfielder made his first team debut in a
Liga MX
Liga MX, also known as Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Mexico and the highest level of the Mexican football league system. Formerly known as Liga Mayor (1943–1949) and also as Primera Divis ...
match.
Chicago Fire
Joya was loaned to
Chicago Fire with an option to buy ahead of the
2014 MLS season. In the 2014 season opener, he made his MLS debut as a 63rd-minute substitute with his side was down 2–0. Seconds after making his way onto the field, a shot deflected by the
Chivas USA
Chivas USA (pronounced ''CHEE-vahs'') was an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The club competed in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conf ...
keeper landed in front of him. He scored a left-footed shot inside the six yard box to put the Fire on the board, making it 2–1. That was Joya's first MLS touch and only league goal of the season.
Club Necaxa
Joya was loaned to
Necaxa
Impulsora del Deportivo Necaxa S.A. de C.V. (); often simply known as Club Necaxa, is a Mexican professional Association football, football club based in Aguascalientes (city), Aguascalientes. It competes in Liga MX, the top division of Mexican ...
of the Ascenso MX for 2015–16.
Sporting Kansas City
Joya signed with
Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The ad ...
on September 15, 2016, before the MLS roster freeze.
Irapuato
On January 10, 2018, Joya signed with Mexican club
Irapuato
Irapuato is a Mexican city and municipalities of Mexico, municipality located at the foot of the Arandas Hill (in Spanish Language, Spanish: ''Cerro de Arandas''), in the central region of the Mexican state, state of Guanajuato. It lies between the ...
.
Oakland Roots SC
In April 2019, Joya signed with
NISA NISA may refer to:
* National Independent Soccer Association, a third tier United States soccer league
* National Intelligence and Security Agency of Somalia
* Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, part of the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade a ...
expansion club
Oakland Roots SC
Oakland Roots Sports Club is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in Oakland, California. The club competes in the USL Championship (USLC) as a member of the Western Conference (USL Championship), Western Conference. F ...
. He played in six of the team's games during both the Fall and Spring seasons. On September 8, 2019, Joya scored his first goal for Oakland against
Liga MX
Liga MX, also known as Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Mexico and the highest level of the Mexican football league system. Formerly known as Liga Mayor (1943–1949) and also as Primera Divis ...
side
FC Juárez
Fútbol Club Juárez, also known as Bravos de Juárez or simply Juárez, is a Mexican professional Association football, football club based in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, that currently competes in Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football ...
in an international friendly at
Laney College
Laney College is a public community college in Oakland, California. Laney is the largest of the four colleges of the Peralta Community College District which serves northern Alameda County. Laney College is named after Joseph Clarence Laney. ...
, which the Roots lost 4–2.
On April 16, 2020, while the NISA season was on hiatus due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, Joya was released from Oakland following an arrest the previous day.
International career
Joya was a member of the
United States U-20 squad at the
2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the nineteenth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, since its inception in 1977 as the FIFA World Youth Championship. It ran from 21 June to 13 July 2013. At the FIFA Executive Meeting in Zürich on 3 March 2011, ...
.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joya, Benji
1993 births
Living people
American men's soccer players
American expatriate men's soccer players
Santos Laguna footballers
Chicago Fire FC players
Sporting Kansas City players
Liga MX players
Major League Soccer players
National Independent Soccer Association players
American sportspeople of Mexican descent
Soccer players from San Jose, California
Expatriate men's footballers in Mexico
United States men's under-20 international soccer players
United States men's under-23 international soccer players
American expatriate sportspeople in Mexico
Men's association football midfielders
C.D. Irapuato footballers
Club Necaxa footballers
Oakland Roots SC players
De Anza Force players
21st-century American sportsmen