The San Jose Earthquakes have taken a big step in shoring up their back line by signing Honduran international Victor Bernardez. The Honduran international has played in Honduras, Belgium and Mexico, playing last season for Indios on loan from Anderlecht. A standout for Honduras with 52 caps to his name, the 29-year-old appears to be a fine signing for the Quakes.

"We’ve scouted Victor for several years," Earthquakes General Manager John Doyle said. "We saw him play at the CONCACAF Gold Cup and were very impressed with his game. He’s a great addition to the off season moves we’ve made so far and we look forward to having him in San Jose."

A physical centerback who likes to play on the left, Bernardez is a major boost to a Quakes team that allowed the third-most goals in the Western Conference. They lost Bobby Burling to the Montreal Impact in the expansion draft, leaving them with a big hole in the center of their defense, a hole that Bernardez is more than capable of filling. Bernardez is also very good on the ball, giving San Jose another player who can help them keep the ball and play from the back, something they struggled with mightily last year with a weak midfield. As far as quality and fit go, Bernardez is a tremendous signing for San Jose as they look to make the playoffs for the first time since 2005.