Chivas USA joined the league-wide stampede for Central and South American talent on Tuesday, announcing the signings of Colombian defender John Alexander Valencia and Salvadoran midfielder Marvin Iraheta.
Per league and team policy, details of the contract were not revealed.
Valencia, 30, will join Chivas pending receipt of his ITC and P-1 Visa. Iraheta (pictured above, right) has already been training with the team after arriving at the club through a merger between the Chivas academy and Cosmos Academy West last year.
“John is a player we have been scouting for some time now,” general manager Jose Domene said in a statement. “He is a great defender that just became champion in Colombia and will help reinforce our backline and help our team win. We are looking forward to his arrival and having him on the Goats squad.”
Valencia last played for Corporación Popular Deportiva Junior, better known as Atlético Junior, and won the Colombian 2011 Fall Championship with the club. He played for Independiente Medellín (2005-2007) before joinng Atlético Junior in the fall of 2007. He boasts impressive size, standing 6-foot-4.
Iraheta was one of the crown jewels of the Cosmos academy, winning U17/U18 US Development Academy National Player of the Year honors for the 2009-2010 season. He also played in the New York Cosmos squad that faced off against Manchester United in the club’s inaugural match at Old Trafford.
