Turns out the LA Galaxy weren't just watching the Gold Cup to keep tabs on Omar Gonzalez and Landon Donovan. Not that they could have missed Jaime Penedo either way.
The two-time defending MLS Cup champs announced on Monday that they have signed the Panama national team goalkeeper on a free transfer pending the receipt of his P1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate.
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The 31-year-old Penedo spent the last six seasons playing in Guatemala with Municipal and, most recently, helped lead Panama to the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup final. Per club and league policy, details of the contract were not disclosed.
He began his club career in his native Panama, then spent two years in Europe from 2005 to 2007, playing in Italy for Cagliari and in Spain for Osasuna, before returning to Central America, joining Guatemalan side Municipal in 2007.
He spent the last six years with the Guatemala City-based club, helping them win two Clausura titles (2008 and 2010) and two Apertura titles (2009 and 2011) while appearing in more than 150 games. Municipal also qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League four times in the six years Penedo spent at the club.
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In addition to his club career, Penedo has also made 89 appearances with Panama’s national team since making his international debut in 2003. Originally born in Panama City, Penedo was his country’s first-choice goalkeeper at the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup, helping La Marea Roja reach the final for the first time ever, only to fall on penalties to the United States.
He was also in goal during the US' 2013 Gold Cup final victory at the end of July, and was named the tournament’s top goalkeeper each time.
The addition of Penedo gives LA — for the time being, anyway — four goalkeepers on the first-team roster: starter Carlo Cudicini and Brian Perk and Brian Rowe.
