SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Earthquakes are happy to introduce new signing Matheus Silva to the club! After spending the last two weeks in San Jose, we caught up with Silva to discuss his upbringing in Sao Paulo, his high school playing career and learning from veteran teammates Victor Bernardez & Clarence Goodson.

sjearthquakes.com: A lot of fans don’t know this, but you were with the Quakes in Tucson for preseason. Talk about your time with the team back in February and how that lead to you earning a spot on the team.

Matheus Silva: “I had a chance to go to Tucson with San Jose for preseason and it was a great experience. I got the chance to see the environment, the coaching staff, how everything worked. We played against the Houston Dynamo first, Portland second and from there, I knew that San Jose was where I wanted to be. I was just waiting to finish high school so I could come and help the team.”

SJEQ: Tell us about where you grew up and how you fell in love with the game.

MS: “I grew up in a big city in Brazil called Sao Paulo. Where I’m from, everyone plays soccer, so every time after school – even during our school breaks – we’d play. When I would go hang out with my friends, we would go kick a ball around. That’s really where my love started.”

SJEQ: How did your experience at Montverde Academy in Florida help you get on an MLS roster?

MS: “In Brazil, if you want to play soccer professionally, you have to quit school. My mom didn’t want that to happen. One day, I was playing soccer in a small tournament in Brazil and my coach from Montverde Academy - Mike Potempa - his friend saw me play there and told him about me. He got in contact with me and explained what it was like at the academy and how I could study, learn English and play soccer at the same time, so I came to the U.S., didn’t know any English and Montverde Academy helped me a lot. They showed me that it’s not just about soccer, but it’s also about character.”

SJEQ: Explain how important it’s been for you to learn from a center back duo like Clarence Goodson and Victor Bernardez?

MS: “It’s been a great experience for me. A couple months ago I was playing in high school and now I’m playing center back alongside big time players like Victor and Clarence. They have a bunch of experience playing for their national teams and that’s my dream. Seeing how they act on the pitch and off the pitch has been great. They’ve been helping me a lot and I really look up to them.”

SJEQ: Explain to fans who Matheus is as a person and what kind of player he is on the field.

MS: “Matheus is a shy guy, but he likes to talk to people and help people. On the field, I’ll give 120 percent to help my team win. Even if I have to risk my body or give everything I have, I’m willing to do it.”