SEATTLE, WASH. – Seattle Sounders FC today announced the signing of defender Román Torres. The 29-year-old Panamanian international comes to Seattle from Colombian side Millonarios, and is being added to Sounders FC's roster pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate. Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) was used to acquire Torres, and per MLS and club policy, additional terms of the deal are not being disclosed.
"Román 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. “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.”
Torres joins the Rave Green following 11 professional seasons in South and Central American topflight football, including the last nine campaigns in Liga Àguila, Colombia’s top division. The Panama City native has amassed 331 career appearances and 32 goals dating back to 2004. A three-time Liga Àguila champion, Torres earned 2010 and 2011 Apertura championships with Atlètico Junior and Atlètico Nacional, respectively, before leading Millonarios to the 2012 Clausura crown. After beginning his career with hometown side Chepo FC in 2004, Torres moved to fellow Panamanian club San Francisco FC in 2005, winning a pair of Panamanian First Division titles before transitioning to Colombia in 2006.
“We believe Román’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 Román integrate into our team as quickly as possible, and we look forward to his contributions at Sounders FC."
The physical defender has 79 career caps for the Panamanian National Team, recording 12 international goals. He most recently captained Panama to a third-place finish at the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup and scored in a 2-1 loss to Mexico in the Semifinal Round. The six-foot-two centerback has played six career matches in the Copa Libertadores – South America’s professional club football championship – appearing twice in the 2010 tournament for Atlètico Junior and four times in 2013 for Millonarios.
"We have followed Román very closely over the years. He has a tremendous presence in the back and has won championships throughout his career at the club level,” said Sounders FC Sporting Director Chris Henderson. “Romàn is a good man-marker and dangerous on set pieces, as he’s proven with his goal-scoring record at the international and club levels. Additionally, his leadership was evident during the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup with Panama, and we feel these qualities immediately benefit our team."
MEDIA NOTE: Torres, Lagerwey, Schmid and Henderson are being made available to members of the media during today's press access window at Starfire Sports in Tukwila, beginning between 11:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. PT. Interested members of the media should contact a representative of Sounders FC Communications for further details.
Following Sunday’s defeat to the LA Galaxy, Sounders FC (10-12-2, 32 points) returns home this Sunday for a nationally-televised matchup against expansion side Orlando City SC on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field (2:00 p.m. PT / ESPN2, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM).
Transaction: Seattle Sounders FC signs defender Román Torres on August 12, 2015.
Name: Román Torres
Pronunciation: roe-MAHN
Position: Defender
Height: 6-2
Weight: 195
Born: March 20, 1986
Hometown: Panama City, Panama
Citizenship: Panama
Acquired: Seattle Sounders FC signs defender Romàn Torres on August 12, 2015 using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM).
