Foxborough, Mass. - The New England Revolution announced today that the club has signed Mexico international forward José Manuel Abundis to a Major League Soccer contract, and that he will join the team pending immigration approval. Abundis for starred for Deportivo Toluca in the Mexico's Primera División and has made 47 appearances with Mexico's national team.
The Revolution also announced that Ivory Coast youth international Arsene Oka has been signed and added to the team's developmental roster. Arsene, a left-sided midfielder and winger who has appeared for the his country's U20 and U17 national teams, will not count toward the Revs 18-man senior roster and will be designated as a Youth International. Per league and team policies, terms of the player signings are not disclosed.
Abundis is one of the most accomplished forwards from Mexico in the last decade. He has 10 national team goals to his credit and scored 92 times in 301 top division appearances during his Mexican professional career. His Mexico National Team honors include playing for Los Tricolores in the qualifying cycles for the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, in the 1999 and 2001 Confederations Cups and in the 1996 Olympics.
Abundis made his debut with Deportivo Toluca Futbol Club in 1992 and had a breakout campaign for the team in the Spring 1999 season when he scored 15 goals in 20 league games. He played for Toluca until 2001, winning three league championships with the team (1998, '99, '00). He then spent parts of five campaigns with Atalante and also had stints with Monterrey and Pachuca, before returning to Toluca in 2004. Abundis scored six goals in 17 games for Toluca in the 2005 Apertura season and won the Campeon de Campeones championship with them in August 2006.
"He's a proven winner, he has very good technical ability and has demonstrated real leadership qualities," Revolution head coach Steve Nicol said. "José knows how to score goals and how to link well with the other attacking players. He's fit right in with the group and will provide an immediate boost to our squad."
New England's next home game is set for Saturday, Sept. 23, when the team hosts the Kansas City Wizards at Gillette Stadium at 7:30 p.m. That game is the team's annual "High School Night" and high school groups interested in attending the match and receiving the many attractive available amenities are encouraged to call 1-877-GET-REVS for more information.
