Román Torres

Román Aureliano Torres Morcillo (Spanish pronunciation: [roˈman ˈtores]; born 20 March 1986) is a Panamanian professional footballer who plays as a defender for the Tacoma Stars in the Major Arena Soccer League, and the Panama national team.[2]

Not to be confused with Roman Torres (soccer, born 2002).

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Torres and the second or maternal family name is Morcillo.
Román Torres
Torres with Panama at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Román Aureliano Torres Morcillo
Date of birth (1986-03-20) 20 March 1986
Place of birth Panama City, Panama
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre back
Team information
Current team
 Tacoma Stars
Youth career
Chepo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004 Chepo 27 (5)
2005 San Francisco 33 (4)
2006 Cortuluá 39 (6)
2007–2015 La Equidad 84 (9)
2010 → Atlético Junior (loan) 35 (7)
2011 → Atlético Nacional (loan) 36 (8)
2012–2015 → Millonarios (loan) 89 (5)
2015–2019 Seattle Sounders 66 (1)
2019 → Tacoma Defiance (loan) 1 (0)
2020 Inter Miami 5 (0)
2020 Seattle Sounders 3 (0)
2021 Cartaginés 16 (1)
2021 Universitario 13 (2)
2023 Dallas Sidekicks (indoor) 7 (2)
2023– Tacoma Stars (indoor) 0 (0)
International career‡
2005–2019 Panama 120 (10)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 3 August 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 July 2022

He played for the Panama national team and captained them in their first ever World Cup, where he was regarded as the 'star player' for the national side.[3]

Club career

Torres started his career at Chepo and played alongside compatriot Anthony Basile at Colombian side Cortuluá from January 2006.[4] In January 2007 he moved to La Equidad, where he was joined by compatriot Orlando Rodríguez.[5]

His performances gained him notice with several clubs, particularly with English Championship sides Blackpool and Swansea City during the winter transfer market in 2010.[6] However, a move to England never materialised. He was also on trial for the Championship team Nottingham Forest in December 2011–January 2012, impressing manager, Steve Cotterill. However, this move also failed to materialize.[7]

Millonarios FC

More recently, his continued good form at Millonarios FC caused Roman to be linked with a move to Brazilian side Palmeiras, though this too failed to materialize.[8]

He was a champion of the Colombian national football tournament Liga Postobón II 2012 with Millonarios FC,[9] for whom he played over 100 matches.[10]

Seattle Sounders FC
Torres with Seattle Sounders FC in 2017

On 12 August 2015, Torres signed with American club Seattle Sounders FC.[11] He made his debut for the club on 18 August, during a 4–0 win over Orlando City SC in Seattle.[12]

During a match on 12 September against the San Jose Earthquakes, Torres suffered a knee injury that resulted in him being substituted at half-time. It was later revealed to be an anterior cruciate ligament injury, forcing Torres to miss the rest of the season for surgery and rehabilitation.[13] Torres returned to team training in June 2016[14] and made his full return on 28 August during a match against the Portland Timbers.[15]

On 10 December 2016, Torres scored the Cup-winning penalty in a shoot-out against Toronto FC to win the MLS Cup, the first in Sounders history.[16]

On 2 August 2019, Torres was suspended for ten matches after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance by the league. He was also fined one-fifth of his salary.[17]

Inter Miami

On 29 December 2019, it was announced that Torres had joined Inter Miami ahead of their inaugural season in MLS in 2020.[2]

Return to Seattle Sounders

On September 28, 2020, Torres was traded back to Seattle Sounders FC.[18]

Cartagines, Costa Rican League

In January 2021, Torres signed with Costa Rican club C.S. Cartaginés.[19]

Dallas Sidekicks

Torres signed with the Dallas Sidekicks of the Major Arena Soccer League on 3 February 2023.[20]

Tacoma Stars

Torres returned to the Pacific Northwest in August 2023, signing with the Major Arena Soccer League's Tacoma Stars.[21]

International career

Torres was a member of the Panama U-20 squad that took part in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Cup in the Netherlands.[22]

Torres has made 119 appearances for the full Panama national team, including qualifying matches for the 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 World Cup.[22] He made his debut at the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup against South Africa on 17 July 2005.[23] He also made three appearances at the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[24]

While captaining the Panamanian squad in the semi-final match of the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup[25] Torres scored the first goal of the match on a header. His team, down a man based on a red card awarded by the referee,[26] lost the match in extra time after Torres was called for a handball late in regulation.[27]

On 10 October 2017, during the final qualifying match for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Torres scored the game-winning goal against Costa Rica with three minutes left in the game, which combined with the United States' loss to Trinidad and Tobago, helped Panama qualify for their first ever World Cup, making him a national hero.[28]

Torres was named in Panama's 23-man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.[29] Before Panama's final game in the 2018 World Cup against Tunisia, Torres announced his official retirement from the national side. Torres achieved his dream of helping Panama reach the country's first ever World Cup. [30]

However he has since backtracked from his statement, accepting a call-up for a friendly against Venezuela in September 2018, and was included in Panama's squad for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[31]

Career statistics

International
As of 15 November 2019.[32]
Panama
YearAppsGoals
200540
200620
2007120
200840
200970
201081
2011130
201280
2013192
201482
2015123
201620
201772
201870
201960
Total11910

International goals
Scores and results list Panama's goal tally first.[32][33]
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.3 March 2010Estadio Metropolitano de Fútbol de Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela Venezuela1–02–1Friendly
2.6 February 2013Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Costa Rica2–02–22014 FIFA World Cup qualification
3.24 July 2013Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, United States Mexico2–12–12013 CONCACAF Gold Cup
4.10 September 2014BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, United States Nicaragua2–02–02014 Copa Centroamericana
5.13 September 2014Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States El Salvador1–01–0
6.27 March 2015Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, Trinidad & Tobago Trinidad and Tobago1–01–0Friendly
7.3 June 2015Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Ecuador1–11–1
8.22 July 2015Georgia Dome, Atlanta, United States Mexico1–01–22015 CONCACAF Gold Cup
9.13 June 2017Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Honduras2–22–22018 FIFA World Cup qualification
10.10 October 2017 Costa Rica2–12–1

Personal life

Torres earned a U.S. green card in February 2018, which also qualifies him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes.[34] He has a son named, Adriano Torres who was born in 2008. Currently, his son is going to middle school as of 2019.

Honours

Chepo

San Francisco

La Equidad

Atlético Junior

Atlético Nacional

Millonarios

Seattle Sounders

Panama

Individual

See also

References
  1. "Román Torres". Seattle Sounders FC. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  2. "Inter Miami CF sign former Seattle Sounders defender Roman Torres as free agent". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. 29 December 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  3. "Roman Torres: Panama's film star footballer dreams of beating England at World Cup". Shamoon Hafez for BBC Sport. 24 March 2018.
  4. Cinco panameños van al fútbol colombiano - La Prensa (in Spanish)
  5. Rodríguez ficha con La Equidad - La Prensa (in Spanish)
  6. "Blackpool miss out on Torres". skysports.com. Sky Sports. 6 January 2010. Archived from the original on 16 September 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  7. "Forest players warned they must still earn new deals". 13 January 2012.
  8. "Panamanian defender Roman Torres set for Palmeiras". sambafoot.com. Sambafoot. 15 December 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  9. "Liga Postobon Championship 2012 - Full Details". colombiareports.com. Colombia Reports.
  10. "Román Torres festejó con un gol sus 101 juegos con Millonarios". eltiempo.com (in Spanish). El Tiempo. 22 February 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  11. "Sounders FC signs Panamanian National Team captain Román Torres". Seattle Sounders FC. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  12. Ruiz, Don (16 August 2015). "New lineup helps Seattle Sounders roll past Orlando City". The News Tribune. Tacoma, Washington. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  13. Pentz, Matt (14 September 2015). "Sounders center back Roman Torres suffers season-ending knee injury". The Seattle Times. p. C2. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  14. Pentz, Matt (10 June 2016). "Defender Torres almost ready to return from ACL tear". The Seattle Times. p. C6. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  15. Pentz, Matt (28 August 2016). "Roman Torres returns, Brian Schmetzer eschews excuses and other Sounders-Timbers notes". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  16. "Seattle's triumph, and good riddance to Gerrard: the 2016 MLS season in review". The Guardian. 14 December 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  17. Evans, Jayda (2 August 2019). "Sounders defender Roman Torres suspended 10 games for violating MLS substance-abuse policy". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  18. "Roman Torres rejoins Seattle Sounders in trade with Inter Miami". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. 28 September 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  19. "Former Seattle Sounders center back Roman Torres signs with Costa Rica's Caragines". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. 24 January 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  20. Reilly, Caitlin. "FORMER PANAMANIAN NATIONAL TEAM CAPTAIN ROMÁN TORRES SIGNS WITH SIDEKICKS". DallasSidekicks.com. Dallas Sidekicks. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  21. "MLS'S TORRES RETURNS TO TACOMA". MASLSoccer.com. Major Arena Soccer League. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  22. Román Torres – FIFA competition record (archived)
  23. "CONCACAF Championship, Gold Cup 2005 - Full Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  24. "CONCACAF Championship, Gold Cup 2007 - Full Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  25. "Panama 1, Mexico 2 - CONCACAF Gold Cup Match Recap". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. 23 July 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  26. "Mexico-Panama Gold Cup referee, N.J.'s Mark Geiger, under fire after blown calls". 23 July 2015.
  27. "CONCACAF says ref Mark Geiger admits Gold Cup errors".
  28. "From agony to ecstasy: Panama's remarkable journey to the 2018 World Cup and a night they'll never forget". The Independent. 11 October 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  29. "Hernán Darío Gómez da listado de 23 convocados a la Copa Mundial" (in Spanish). Panamanian Football Federation. 30 May 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  30. "Panama captain Román Torres exits Tunisia match with injury in final international appearance". soundersfc.com. Major League Soccer. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  31. Isaac Castillero Wilson (4 June 2019). "Julio Dely Valdés define los convocados a Copa Oro" (in Spanish). FEPAFUT.
  32. "Román Torres". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  33. "Román Aureliano Torres - Century of International Appearances". RSSSF.
  34. "Defender Román Torres confident the Sounders will advance to the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals, start MLS season with a win". Seattle Sounders FC. 28 February 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  35. "Seattle Sounders are 2019 MLS Cup champions: Rave Green win second MLS title". Major League Soccer. 10 November 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  36. "Javier Hernandez and Carli Lloyd Named 2015 CONCACAF Players of the Year". CONCACAF.com. 22 January 2016.
  37. "2017 CONCACAF Award Winners Announced". CONCACAF. 19 December 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
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