Houston Dynamo president Chris Canetti said his club wasn't done after signing DaMarcus Beasley. Now we know who he was talking about, as the Dynamo announced on Friday that they have acquired Honduran national team midfielder Luis Garrido on loan from Honduran club CD Olimpia.
Garrido started two games at the 2014 FIFA World Cup for Honduras at central midfield. The 23-year-old has 22 caps for Los Catrachos, 11 of which were starts in the last World Cup qualifying cycle, including a full 90 minutes in Honduras' 2-1 win over the US in San Pedro Sula in February of 2013 (pictured above).
The Juticalpa, Honduras, native also played at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
“I think he is a good player,” Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear said in a club statement. “He has a good amount of bite in the middle of the field, good energy and is a good passer of the ball. We have watched him for a few years in the CONCACAF Champions League and World Cup qualifiers, and he showed well in the World Cup. We think he is a player that will fit in with the way we play and it a good opportunity to bring him here.”
Garrido made his professional debut with Juticalpa FC in 2007 before transferring to Honduran powerhouse Olimpia, where played alongside current Dynamo midfielders Boniek García and Alexander López. He also spent a portion of 2013 on loan with Red Star Belgrade in the Serbian SuperLiga.
The Dynamo got a good look at Garrido in October of 2012, when he started for Olimpia against Houston in a CONCACAF Champions League group-stage match at BBVA Compass Stadium.
“I'm excited to add our second World Cup veteran to the club in the last two days,” Canetti said in a statement. “We think Luis will be an important player for us. With Brad [Davis], Boniek, DaMarcus, Rico [Clark] and Luis, we now have five players with World Cup experience in the midfield.”
Houston added four-time World Cup veteran Beasley on Wednesday after trading up to the top spot of the allocation order in a deal that sent Warren Creavalle to Toronto FC.
Garrido will be added to the Dynamo roster upon receipt of his P-1 Visa and international transfer certificate. Per club and league policy, terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
