By DAN KARELL
With the seconds ticking down on the Major League Soccer summer transfer window, the Colorado Rapids completed a historic deal for the club.
The team announced late Thursday night that they had signed forward Gabriel Torres to a Designated Player contract, the first ever DP signed in club history. The 24-year-old joins the Rapids on a full transfer from his Panamanian side San Francisco FC. The move is subject to the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and the acquisition of his P-1 Visa.
Torres recently starred for the Panamanian national team at the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, leading Panama to the final where they would lose to the USA, 1-0. Torres scored five goals in the tournament, earning him a share of the Golden Boot, and defeated Mexico twice.
“Torres is dynamic, can score goals, and will give us a boost as we enter the final 10 games of the regular season,” Rapids head coach Oscar Pareja said in a statement on the club’s website. “We had been looking at him since before the Gold Cup, but that tournament showed everybody what he is capable of. It’s great for the club that Torres is able to join us, and I am eager to see him on the field with the boys.”
The last two seasons saw Torres spend time on season-long loans to Zamora FC in Venezuela, scoring a combined 32 goals in his two years at the club and winning the league title last season. The Panama City, Panama, native has also previously played for San Francisco in his home country, Atletico Huila and La Equidad in Colombia, as well as Chepo FC in Panama.
What do you think of this news? Do you see Torres having a big impact on the Rapids? How do you think this affects other teams in the Western Conference?
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