Californian striker Cacanja Lawrence signs for SVG Steinachgrund in the German Bezirksliga

Californian striker to Bezirksliga in Germany. CJ Lawrence (19) transfers to SVG for the second half of the 2023-24 season

This week, club representatives and our soccer agency in Nürnberg confirmed CJ’s transfer from FSV Erlangen-Bruck U19 to SVG Steinachgrund U23 for the second half of the 2023-24 season. This move marks a new chapter in his soccer career in Germany after two years playing in Spain with UD San Fernando and CD Maspalomas in the autonomous community of Canary Islands. CJ started his journey in Germany as a Pro IFX Year Germany player where he competed for the Hinrunde (Fall season) with our partner club FSV Erlangen-Bruck and now after the first half of the season CJ has the chance to reinforce the attack of SVG Steinachgrund.

In Summer 2023, CJ trialed with FSV Erlangen-Bruck U19s quickly sparking interest from head coach Frederik Gnichwitz and earning himself a chance to compete with Erlangen-Bruck in the U19 Landesliga for the 2023-24 season. However, during his transition from the technical style of Spanish soccer to the physically demanding style of German football, CJ faced an uphill battle to secure his spot in the starting lineup at Erlangen Bruck.

After his stint with the U19 team of FSV Erlangen-Bruck in the first half of the season, CJ's perseverance and patience paid off. Both CJ and our football agency agreed to seek new challenges and opportunities during the winter break, aiming to showcase more of CJ's qualities. This pursuit gave CJ the chance to trial for SVG Steinachgrund, and ultimately sealing the deal enabling the Californian striker's winter transfer to play in the German Bezirksliga.

CJ has expressed that he´s excited for this new chance to continue with the rest of the season. He has also earned the chance to prove his value to SVG Steinachgrund during the mid-season friendlies after the winter break in Germany by scoring 4 goals in 2 matches. This good start for the Californian striker will hopefully lead to continued success this Spring and into the next season. SVG are the favorites to promote into the German Landesliga, and currently leading the league.

As part of the Pro IFX Germany program, CJ not only receives continuous support and representation as a player of the agency, but he also benefits from shared accommodation with other players in a fully furnished apartment located in downtown Nürnberg. Additionally, he attends German classes with one of our partner language institutes for a faster adaptation to the German culture. Lastly, he has the opportunity to complement his mandatory club training sessions with our morning sessions in Fürth, where our coaching staff focuses on helping our players adapt to the German soccer style.

We wish him the best of luck for the rest of the season and hope to see him continue to thrive by netting many goals and developing more as a player.