Monterey Bay FC Sign Japanese Midfielder to join for the 2026 season
SEASIDE, California (Tuesday, March 10, 2026) – Monterey Bay Football Club (Monterey Bay FC) announced today the signing of Japanese midfielder Ryuga Nakamura, pending league and federation approval.
Nakamura, 24, joins Monterey Bay FC following playing the past five in Europe, most recently with Latvian club SK Super Nova in the Latvian Higher League, also know as the Virslīga, the highest level of the Latvian football league. In 2025, he recored 32 league appearances with five goals scored and three assists in 2,455 minutes played. He also played in two Latvian Cup games with a goal scored.
“Naka is a player we’ve watched for some time,” said Monterey Bay FC Director of Recruitment, Tony Awor. “He was a standout midfielder in the Latvian top division. His technical ability and knack for finding quality passes really stood out to the club. He’s someone we’re really looking forward to see compete in the USL Championship.”
With 108 games played in his career, he has scored 10 goals along with eight assists in 8,514 minutes as a professional. After beginning his professional development in Japan, he made his professional debut at 19-years-old with FK Tukums 2000 in the Virslīga playing in 32 matches with two goals and one assist in 2,654 minutes played in his first professional season.
“I’m excited that this moment has finally arrived and I’m officially a Monterey Bay FC player,” said Ryuga Nakamura. “Despite the length of the process, it was all worth it. I want to thank everyone who helped make this transfer possible and also my team in Japan that helped me get ready for the season. I’m looking forward to playing for such a passionate fanbase at Cardinale Stadium.”
NAME: Ryuga Nakamura
POSITION: Midfielder
AGE: 24
HEIGHT: 6’2”
DATE OF BIRTH: July 24, 2001
HOMETOWN: Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, Japan
NATIONALITY: Japan
PREVIOUS CLUB: SK Super Nova
TRANSACTION: Monterey Bay has signed Ryuga Nakamura to a multi-year on March 10, 2026.
The current roster heading into the 2026 season as of March 10 is listed alphabetically as follows:
Goalkeepers: Ciaran Dalton, Fernando Delgado
Defenders: Kelsey Egwu, Zackery Farnsworth, Joel Garcia Jr., Nico Gordon, Luka Malesevic, Andres O’Neal, Stuart Ritchie, Abdel Talabi
Midfielders: Eduardo Blancas, Facundo Canete, Belmar Joseph, Johnny Klein, Giorgi Lomtadze, Ryuga Nakamura, Adrian Rebollar, Nick Ross, Angel Villasana
Forwards: Djimon Anderson, Omari Glasgow, Wesley Leggett, Youssou Ndiaye, Ilijah Paul
Monterey Bay FC Communications – @MontereyBayFC
PRESS CONTACT:
Marco Peralta, Monterey Bay FC
E: marco@montereybayfc.com
