This is Part 21 in a series of articles on the players that make up the 2010 Los Angeles Galaxy.

Throughout history, there have been many well known people with names that start with Leonardo.

There's the Italian Renaissance scientist, architect, botanist, musician, anatomist, inventor, engineer, sculptor, roboticist, geometer, writer, and painter known as Leonardo da Vinci.

Moviegoers the world over are familiar with one Leonardo DiCaprio. The Fibonacci sequence is credited to Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa. And for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fans young and old, the katana-wielding Leonardo is recognized as the leader of the heroes in a half-shell.

There are many football players that go by the name Leonardo. One of them is José Leonardo Ribeiro da Silva, a defender who plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy. At 1.88 meters, he provides an imposing presence to the team's reliable backline.

On loan from Sao Paulo FC, Leonardo is part of a trio of imports (the others being Alex Cazumba and Juninho) that look to help the Galaxy return to the 2010 MLS Cup.

José Leonardo Ribeiro da Silva was born on February 8, 1988 in São Paulo, Brazil. Like Alex Cazumba and Juninho, Leonardo went through the Sao Paulo FC youth system at age 13 before joining the  first team.

Despite not playing a single match for Sao Paulo in 2008, he was part of the team that won the Serie A that year.

In 2007, Leonardo was part of the youth side that won the 2007 Dallas Cup, defeated Real Madrid and Chelsea on their way to the crown. During his days with Sao Paulo's youth, Leonardo played for the Under-15 and Under-20 teams.

Last year, with Alex Cazumba and Juninho, Leonardo was loaned out to Toledo in the First Division of the Brazilian Paraná Championship. As a member of the national team, Leonardo joined the Under-16 and Under-17 sides in 2004.

On December 22, 2009, the Galaxy signed Leonardo on loan from Sao Paulo. With Gregg Berhalter sitting out the early part of the 2010 Major League Soccer season due to injury, Leonardo's presence and dispossessing ability would prove to be what the doctor ordered in terms of depth.

As the 2010 MLS regular season enters the halfway mark, the need for depth to win the games that matter could not be any more urgent.

And with Leonardo working his Brazilliance on the pitch with Junho and Alex Cazumba, only time and results will tell if that need has indeed been satisfied.

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