By RYAN TOLMICH
The rumors have been confirmed: Erick “Cubo” Torres is Houston-bound.
The Houston Dynamo announced Monday that the club has signed the former Chivas USA striker as a Designated Player. As part of the deal, Torres will spend up to six months with Chivas de Guadalajara for Liga MX’s Clausura campaign, which is set to kick off Jan. 9.
“I’m extremely excited to be joining the Houston Dynamo. It’s one of the premier clubs in MLS and a place where I really wanted to sign,” Torres said. “I can’t wait to join my teammates in Houston and continue their success on the field. I’d like to thank Lino Dicuollo of MLS, my agents Richard Motzkin and Rodrigo Morales of Wasserman, and Dynamo president Chris Canetti in making this deal happen.”
Torres emerged as one of MLS’ most prolific forwards in 2014, as the Chivas USA forward scored 15 goals in 29 games for a Chivas USA side that scored just 29 goals all season.
The 21-year-old forward will join midfielder Alexander Lopez and left back DaMarcus Beasley as the Dynamo’s Designated Players.
“We are delighted to sign a such a talented young player with the scope and potential to improve further,” Dynamo head coach Owen Coyle said. “For me, he is an outstanding player who does the toughest thing in soccer with ease, and that is to score goals. I look forward to working with him and helping to make him even better.”
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What do you think of the Dyanamo’s acquisition of Torres? How will Torres and his new team fare in 2015?
Share your thoughts below.
I wonder how much of a discount Houston got for the loan. Luckily for them, with Cubo already being acclimated to MLS and not moving too far away, he’s unlikely to have the usual midyear DP introduction struggles.
I’m surprised cubo Torres is coming back to MLS, he can easily go to Spain just like all the good mexican players do. Another fact, cubo is getting paid to safe chivas Guadalajara from relegation and if he scores like a maniac and does great, Spain will come calling and dynamo will end up with no mexican DP.
I also wonder wich team in MLS will end up with 3 mexican dps in their team. Teams like Houston, Dallas, Colorado and Los Angeles team can easily do that and get their stadium pack.
So I repeat, Giovanni do santos comes off the bech and by World Cup 2018 he will be in another team, so why not bring him to MLS and he will. Same thing with Guillermo Ochoa, mexicos goalkeeper which he’s a benchwarmer in Spain and he would definitely come to MLS to a big market like Chicago or Los Angeles. ( I would love MLS to add a goalkeeper DP spot)
Those are not the only mexican dps, that MLS should buy. There’s like 10 to 15 top mexican talent that MLS should go after and ligaMX would be crying if MLS stole their national players.
Imagine galaxy getting Guillermo Ochoa and Giovanni do santos, that will be a pack stadium, plus some other DP.
LOL dos Santos is not a bench player. He’s injured. Have you seen his stats last season?
And why would Ochoa go to MLS with a move to Liverpool looming?
Do santos is IN SPAIN for the money and girls, he won’t win titles or world cups or champions in the FUTURE.
Do santos already peaked and he will only go down and for sure he won’t be in Russia but his brother will.
So I repeat, Giovanni would come to MLS for the big money, fame and girls and a big market and if I was galaxy I would be after him now.
As for Guillermo, this guy is a Barbie and loves attention and big cities. That’s why he wants Liverpool and was planning to leave Malaga after some years, for a big city. If you know Guillermo, he was born in a golden crib and trust me, any top mexican player loves USA NOW MORE, than before due to MLS growth.
Remember America is a safe country, freedom of speech and we have the best universities in the world and even charter schools. That’s why MLS needs to concentrate also on marketing our country and not just the league, from Columbus to Miami and Los Angeles, a player should love America for our security and freedom.
E. Geek,
MLS need not worry about marketing the benefits of living in the US.
Since day one, most every foreign player who has come to MLS has mentioned the benefits of living here. It was certainly a big deal to Valeri of Portland.
But remember, really rich people can live well wherever they want to. Money can’t buy happiness but it can rent you a lot of interesting things. If player X can reliably make a lot more money elsewhere in the world then he can just take a few years of risk, bank the money and then come here to live. Why do you think players play in Quatar, Dubai, China, etc?
The US isn’t going anywhere and unless we get a massive Zombiefication in the next few years ( larger population = more potential Zombies, which is the problem with China) it will still have that quality of life.
go to Spain, easily???
watch the guy be average in LigaMX
He is kinda of a top middle class family dude, his family has more than enough money in Mexico compared to other families and that got into his head early.
As a matter of fact, he went to chivas USA as a punishment for being a show off and over talking if leaving Mexico for SPAIN.
There was rumors before he came to chivas USA that Manchester United and Real Madrid were after him but he got to fancy nancy and lost his head,
This guy has to be El Paso under a different name. No way in hell there’s two mofos this deranged in the country.
@ Lafita, hahaha, great comment and yes, I believe the USA may have more than a few deranged mofos running around.
Not sure if i missed it.. but what was the process for how Cubo was signed. Not sure how it was done since free agency is not a real thing
They bought his option from Chivas, got a better price for letting him stay 6 months and deprecate while they get relegated.
“As part of the deal, Torres will spend up to six months with Chivas de Guadalajara for Liga MX’s Clausura campaign”
Unless he does well with Chivas and they decide to keep him around longer.
Sounds familiar?
It’s the new innovation of MLS: Come when you please DPs. Zlatan has signed for Galaxy, he’ll just come some day, whenever PSG thinks it’s appropriate, just wait.
Nope.
Cubo will be with Chivas for the 2015 Clausura. The “up to 6 months” reflects the fact that Chivas could theoretically go deep into the Liga MX playoffs. Then again, they could place 9th and not even make the playoffs, which would be ideal for the Dynamo as it would save Chivas from relegation and get Cubo back as early as possible.
Poor Fire. Nobody wants to play there. They lost out on Jones and Torres.
Fire FO never wanted Cubo; fans did tho. They were scouting in Scandanavia, hence signing Accam and Kennedy. If they were to fill another DP slot, it would be a defender or an attacking midfielder/playmaker, you know, someone with a brain.
LOL as scouting in Scandinavia.
Blast it! Would of loved to see him up top with Kean replacing Zardes. Oh well guess this means LA is getting Pirlo or Dino
I expect LA to get Kljestan as a DP to replace Donovan.
Perfect fit for the LAG…..a worthless POS that they don’t need, but for some reason want.
Kljestan hasn’t been a regular starter for Anderlecht in over a year now. They can probably get him in under DP salary.
Refreshing to see an LA fan with his head on straight. Most of them I’ve seen have rationalized missing out on Cubo with “oh well, he wouldn’t have replaced Keane or Zardes.”
First off, Cubo would absolutely have booted Zardes’ butt to the bench. And Keane will only be there another year.
That said, LA will definitely be getting a bigger name than Cubo, just probably not at forward.
Torres said. “I can’t wait to join my teammates in Houston”…. Apparently he CAN wait up to six months.
Good one! 🙂