TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
Atlanta United have signed forward Erick "Cubo" Torres, the club announced Friday. The move comes minutes after Atlanta placed Josef Martinez on the season-ending injured list, creating cap relief.
Torres, 27, was out of contract after spending the last two seasons in Liga MX. He joined Chivas USA in 2013 and spent a number of successful seasons in MLS between Chivas and the Houston Dynamo, scoring 36 goals in 93 appearances.
“Cubo is a natural goalscoring forward who will bolster our frontline and we’re pleased to add a player of his quality to the team,” Atlanta VP and technical director Carlos Bocanegra said in a statement. “He has consistently shown his finishing abilities in MLS, Liga MX and on the international stage, and we expect him to immediately contribute to the second half of our season.”
Cubo Torres MLS highlights
Bocanegra and Torres were Chivas USA teammates for two seasons, including in 2014 when Torres scored a career-high 15 goals.
Torres departed for Liga MX after 2017, first to Pumas UNAM before moving on to Club Tijuana, but failed to find his goalscoring form or regular playing time at either stop. He has only four Liga MX goals since his most recent MLS departure in 29 appearances.
The Mexican forward has a green card thus will not occupy one of Atlanta's international roster slots.
Torres is in line to receive a bulk of the minutes at center forward, though the club also have Adam Jahn and JJ Williams on the squad. Interim head coach Stephen Glass spoke on Thursday of putting stars Pity Martinez and Ezequiel Barco in their best positions to succeed, while restoring Atlanta's attacking mentality.
