Assistant coach Galindo wakes from induced coma

The San Jose Earthquakes on Monday announced that assistant coach Benjamin Galindo has regained consciousness and is speaking with family members nearly two weeks after suffering a cerebral stroke and being placed in a medically induced coma.

The 59-year-old Galindo is in his second season with the MLS’s Quakes. He had been placed in a coma on May 28 following brain surgery after suffering the stroke. In a Tweet on Monday, the team said Galindo was “awake, alert and speaking to family.”

In a statement released Monday, the team wrote that “Benjamin woke up from his medically induced coma on Sunday morning. He has become increasingly alert and begun speaking to family members while remaining hospitalized in Guadalajara. We appreciate everyone’s patience and respectfulness of the privacy that the Galindo family has requested.”

Galindo reportedly suffered the stroke while visiting family in Guadalajara, Mexico. The Quakes were two games into the season when the MLS suspended operations on March 12 because of COVID-19.

Galindo joined the Quakes after an extensive and successful playing and coaching career in Mexico where he earned the nickname of El Maestro and was a member of Mexico’s 1994 World Cup squad.

He made 65 appearances with the Mexico national team from 1983-1997, scoring 28 goals for El Tri. Galindo appeared in more than 700 club matches from 1979-2001, scoring 163 goals. He made his coaching debut as head coach for Chivas in 2004 and led Santos Laguna to a league title in 2012 before joining Matias Almeyda’s staff with the Quakes last season.