The Seattle Sounders have made quite the splash this transfer window by bringing in attacking reinforcements. Now they’ve addressed their defense, announcing Wednesday the signing of Panama international Roman Torres.
Torres, age 29, comes to Seattle after most recently captaining Panama in last month’s Gold Cup, leading Los Canaleros to a third-place game victory over the US and scoring his team’s only goal in a 2-1 semifinal loss to Mexico. He has 79 caps with Panama since debuting in 2005.
"Roman is one of the best defenders in CONCACAF and an imposing player who we believe will make an impact in MLS," said Sounders FC General Manager and President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey in a release. "We think he can help us both as a defender and on attacking set pieces. Perhaps most importantly, he really wanted to come to Seattle and when the opportunity to acquire him arose, we took our chance without hesitation.
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Torres joins the Rave Green following 11 professional seasons in South and Central American top-flight football, including the last nine campaigns in Liga Aguila, Colombia's top division. The Panama City native has amassed 331 career appearances and 32 goals dating back to 2004. A three-time Liga Aguila champion, Torres earned 2010 and 2011 Apertura championships with Atletico Junior and Atletico Nacional, respectively, before leading Millonarios to the 2012 Clausura crown.
"We believe Roman's athleticism and leadership are valuable assets to this club as we head into the final stretch of our season," said Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid. "He's a player who has achieved success at both the club and international levels, highlighted by his standout performance with Panama at the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. We're going to help Roman integrate into our team as quickly as possible, and we look forward to his contributions at Sounders FC."
