SAN JOSE — The Earthquakes’ latest acquisition doesn’t have much time to get acquainted with new teammates before the Major League Soccer season opens a week from Sunday.

Yet, Panamanian winger Alberto Quintero couldn’t be more excited about settling in to prepare for the long slog that is the eight-month regular season.

Quintero, 28, is expected to test his footing in the Quakes’ final preseason game Saturday night at Avaya Stadium against the New York Cosmos of the second division of U.S. professional soccer.

Quintero understands the immediate challenge facing him.

“How do you adapt to that? I hope to show through my play that I have a desire to do well,” he said in Spanish while speaking Friday to Bay Area reporters.

The Cosmos should provide a serious test ahead of next week’s MLS season opener with respected internationals Daniel Szetela of the United States, Jario Arrieta of Costa Rica and Juan Arango of Venezuela. The defending North American Soccer League champions are playing the Quakes for the first time since 1984, when they were members of a now-defunct pro league.

Coach Dominic Kinnear plans to give his top players a final polishing before facing the Colorado Rapids next weekend. That includes Quintero, an outside midfielder for the Panamanian national team.

Quintero hasn’t played since Panama advanced to Copa America Centenario by defeating Cuba in early January. But he and Kinnear say the 5-foot-6 right winger is ready.

“He wanted to come, he’s excited to come here and he can help us a lot,” Panamanian teammate Anibal Godoy said in Spanish.

Godoy, who joined the Earthquakes last summer and immediately changed the team’s fortunes in the central midfield, was overjoyed to add a longtime friend to his club team.

“I know his movements, I know where he likes to get the ball,” Godoy said. “He knows where I like to receive it.”

The midfielder told Kinnear and staff that Quintero is fast, agile and always is trying hard to make the attack better.

“He never had any doubt about coming here,” Godoy said.

Quintero arrived this week in a loan deal with Mexican second division club Lobos de BUAP. The winger also has played on lower division teams in Spain, but he’s never competed at the level of Major League Soccer. He also is playing in a non-Spanish speaking country for the first time.

Quintero, though, isn’t worried about being overwhelmed after playing successfully against the United States, Mexico and other top regional national teams. Those rosters are filled with MLS and European stars.

His play got Kinnear’s attention. The coach wanted to sign the midfielder when Kinnear was with the Houston Dynamo.

After just missing the playoffs last season, the Quakes’ brain trust listed Quintero as one the two wingers it wanted most this year. The team ended up getting both as England’s Simon Dawkins signed earlier.

“It was great they were interested in me,” Quintero said of talks that began in December.

Quintero is undergoing quite a change this year, including the birth of a son in early January.

He wears diamond-studded earrings with the numbers 1 and 9 in respective ears. It’s a tribute to his first child, Abigail, who was born Aug. 19.

But another newcomer this year — Chad Barrett — already took jersey number 19.

Quintero quickly adapted, as promised.

He’s going with 91.

Contact Elliott Almond at 408-920-5865. Follow him at Twitter.com/elliottalmond.