Colorado Rapids bolster already-potent attack by signing Gabriel Torres
After tearing up the competition in the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Panama’s Gabriel Torres signed a Designated Player contract with the Colorado Rapids on Thursday. The signing came just hours before the Major League Soccer transfer window closed.
He will be classified as a Designated Player, the first in club history, due to a combination of salary and acquisition costs, the Rapids said in a press release.
“I’m happy to join the Colorado Rapids, and I will give my all to this club,” Torres said. “Coach [Oscar Pareja] has had confidence in me from the beginning. He told me about the team and the project, and that got my attention. It’s why I’m here — looking to do the right things. I’ll give my best to this organization and look to score many goals to help us win games.”
The 24-year-old Panama City native scored five goals in the Gold Cup, tying the United States’ Landon Donovan and Chris Wondolowski for the Golden Boot. After the tournament, he left Venezuelan club Zamora FC to join MLS, heading to Denver directly after the tournament for a short time before heading home.
“Torres is dynamic and can score goals and will give us a boost as we enter the final 10 games of the regular season,” Pareja said. “We had been looking at him since before the Gold Cup, but that tournament showed everybody what he is capable of. It’s great for the club that Torres is able to join us, and I am eager to see him on the field with the boys.”
Torres will join an attacking set-up that features MLS Rookie of the Year candidates Deshorn Brown and Dillon Powers, as well as former U.S. World Cup player Edson Buddle. The high-flying Rapids sit in second place in the Western Conference, having played two more matches than the four teams immediately below them.
To secure a playoff spot through the final stretch of the season, Colorado will need to find results against the Los Angeles Galaxy, Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers, as well as the Vancouver Whitecaps, whom the Rapids have not faced yet this year but will match up against three times before the end of the regular season.
It all starts on Sunday, with a trip to Chivas USA. Torres will be eligible to join the team as soon as his P-1 work visa is received.
“Torres is an important part of our goal of bringing another MLS Cup to our fans, and he can also help us continue to grow the sport in Colorado,” Rapids president Tom Hinchey said. “This is a big day for the Rapids and MLS.”
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