The Houston Dynamo have continued retooling their roster this offseason, announcing the transfer of defender Adolfo Machado from Saprissa on Wednesday, pending receipt of his P-1 visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
Machado, 31, is a Panamanian international, having picked up 67 caps, including in the Copa America Centenario, World Cup qualifying and the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The center back joined Costa Rican powerhouse Saprissa in Dec. 2013, playing in 130 games for the club and winning four domestic league titles, while also being named the league's foreign player of the year three years in a row. He's also served as captain and played in the CONCACAF Champions League, including the current tournament, where Saprissa finished ahead of the Portland Timbers in group play and progressed to the quarterfinal round.
“Adolfo Machado is a player we’ve been tracking for quite some time. We are extremely pleased to welcome a defender of his quality and pedigree to the Houston Dynamo,” Dynamo vice president and general manager Matt Jordan said in a team statement. “We believe we are adding not only one of the best defenders in CONCACAF and Central America, but also a consummate professional, a proven winner, and someone who will provide stability and leadership to our back line.”
Machado has spent his entire career until the Dynamo signing in Central America. Starting with Panama's Alianza FC in 2004, he's also played in Guatemala for Deportivo Marquense and Comunicaciones, in Honduras with CD Marathon, back home in Panama for San Francisco, and then for Saprissa.
“Adolfo is an excellent player that is very familiar with CONCACAF as the captain of Saprissa and as a leader of the Panamanian national team. He is a versatile player that can play multiple positions in the backline,” said Dynamo head coach Wilmer Cabrera. “He’s won four league titles with Saprissa and it says a lot when you see what he has accomplished with that team that demands excellence. They just won a title in the last two weeks. He is a leader and he will be key for us in the locker room and on the field with his speed, strength and play in the air.”
