Mexican National Team Veteran Gerardo Torrado Signs With Indy Eleven

Photo credit: FIFA.com

Legendary Mexican national team midfielder and longtime Cruz Azul captain Gerardo Torrado is the newest addition to the Indy Eleven roster. The announcement was made during a press conference held at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, where El Tri is based during its Copa América stay in Southern California.

Per club policy, financial details of the contract that brings Torrado – a three-time FIFA World Cup veteran with Mexico and the 11-year captain of Cruz Azul – to Indy Eleven for the NASL’s 2016 Fall Season will not be released.

Torrado will take in tomorrow night’s Mexico-Jamaica game in the centennial edition of the Copa América tournament at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena before coming to the Circle City to support his new Indy Eleven teammates in their decisive Spring Season contest this Saturday, June 11, against the Carolina RailHawks (7:30 p.m. ET kickoff, live on ESPN3).

"I am thrilled to begin this new adventure as a soccer player," Torrado said. "I am sure that with my teammates, team, and the great fan base of Indiana, we will achieve great things. I want to thank the leadership of the team – Peter Wilt, Tim Hankinson, and Jeff Belskus. I also want to thank Pepe Galvan for advising me during my career. 

Indy Eleven owner Ersal Ozdemir added: “The addition of Gerardo Torrado is a significant step towards achieving our club’s goals of winning a championship in 2016 and building our growing club’s reputation across the American and global soccer landscapes. Indianapolis is the greatest sports city in the country, and in Gerardo we are getting a great player and an even better person that we cannot wait for our supporters and the community to embrace.”

Gerardo Torrado during his introductory press conference in Los Angeles. Photo credit:  Indy Eleven/German Alegria

Torrado is expected to make his Indy Eleven debut against his former Bancomer Liga MX foe CF Pachuca on Sunday, June 26, when the recently-crowned Clausura season champion will visit Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis for a 1 p.m. ET exhibition match. Torrado will not be eligible to compete in official competitions for Indy Eleven until the FIFA summer transfer window opens on July 4. Pending U.S. Soccer’s receipt of his international transfer certificate, Torrado will be able to make his first NASL appearance on Saturday, July 9, when the Boys in Blue play host to Minnesota United at Carroll Stadium.

“Players possessing Gerardo Torrado’s experience and quality, both at the club and international levels, are few and far between,” Indy Eleven head coach Tim Hankinson said. “I give our club’s leadership – especially [General Manager] Peter Wilt, who headed our negotiations in recent weeks – tremendous credit for seizing this opportunity to make our team stronger on the field and in the locker room. Gerardo is fit and ready to contribute and has the personality and professional attitude that will allow him to blend right into what has become a tight-knit roster over the last few months.”

The hard-nosed midfielder was a stalwart for the Mexican national team during his 15 years of service at the senior level from 1999-2013, his 146 appearances are tied with his comtemporary Pavel Pardo for the second-most in the nation’s history. Torrado, 37, appeared in 11 of Mexico’s 12 matches across the 2002, 2006, and 2010 FIFA World Cups, starting 10 games, scoring once (2002 Group Stage, game-winner in 2-1 triumph over Ecuador) and serving as vice-captain during the 2010 tournament.

Torrado also brings nearly 20 years of top-level club experience between his playing days with Liga MX (Primera Division) squads UNAM Pumas, where he began his career from 1997-2000, and Cruz Azul (2005-2016), in between performing for four clubs across Spain (Tenerife, Polo Ejido, Sevilla, and Racing Santander).

One year after joining Cruz Azul in 2005, El Borrego (The Sheep) would become the captain of the Mexican City powerhouse squad, leading Los Cementaros to both the 2014 CONCACAF Champions League and 2013 Copa MX titles in addition to four other Liga MX finals appearances.

Torrado is expected to arrive in Indianapolis on Friday in advance of the most important match in Indy Eleven’s two-and-a-half seasons of play. Saturday’s Spring Season finale could give the Boys in Blue their first trophy – if they can capture a win over Carolina by four or more goals.