The Houston Dynamo have signed defender Adolfo Machado, the club announced today. Machado joins the club on a full transfer from Costa Rican club Deportivo Saprissa pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
Machado is the second international signing by the Dynamo in as many days, following the announcement of Honduran forward Alberth Elis on Tuesday. The 31-year-old Panamanian has represented his country at the international level 67 times, including in the 2016 Copa América, FIFA World Cup Qualifying matches and in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Machado frequently pairs with Seattle Sounders FC defender Román Torres in the heart of the Panamanian back line.
“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. “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 joined Deportivo Saprissa on loan in December 2013 and has played in 130 matches for the Costa Rican giants over the last three years. The defender has helped lead Saprissa to the Costa Rican Primera Division title four times since joining the club, capturing both the Clausura (spring) and Apertura (fall) season titles in 2014, the 2015 Apertura championship and the recently-completed 2016 Apertura championship. The most recent title was the 33rd in Saprissa’s club history, giving it more league titles than any club in CONCACAF and the fifth-most in the Western Hemisphere.
“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.”
Machado has captained Saprissa since 2014 in the Primera Division and in CONCACAF Champions League play. In each of his three years with the club, he was voted the Costa Rican Primera Division’s foreign player of the year and selected to the league’s Best XI. With Machado anchoring the back line, Saprissa advanced to the Quarterfinals of the 2014-15 Champions League. Most recently, Machado led Saprissa to a first-place finish in Group B of the 2016-17 Champions League over 2015 MLS Cup Champions Portland Timbers, and a berth in the Quarterfinals once again.
With the addition of Machado, the Houston Dynamo now have 18 players under contract. The defender is the sixth player to occupy an international roster spot for the Dynamo, joining defender Agus, midfielder Alex, forward Mauro Manotas, forward Erick Torres and Elis.
The Dynamo open the 2017 season on Saturday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m. CST against the defending MLS Cup Champion Seattle Sounders FC at BBVA Compass Stadium. Tickets for the opening match start at $20 and are on sale now at HoustonDynamo.com, by phone at 713-276-GOAL and at the BBVA Compass Stadium box office. Season tickets for the entire 2017 home campaign are also available, starting at $310, by phone at 713-276-GOAL.
