- Antonio de la Torre
Antonio de la Torre (born
November 18 ,1977 in Guadalajara,Mexico ) is aMexican-American soccer defender, who recently played for theAtlanta Silverbacks of theUSL First Division . De la Torre holds dual citizenship in Mexico and theUnited States .Before joining MLS, de la Torre played most of his career in Mexico's
Primera A , the second division.He joined MLS for the 2004 season, signing with the
Colorado Rapids , and immediately impressed with his offensive abilities. Unlike most American defenders, de la Torre was a danger going forward from his right back position, and finished the season with five assists in 28 starts. However, near the end of the season, coachTim Hankinson grew tired of de la Torre's defensive failures, and benched him for the playoffs.Following the end of the season, de la Torre was exposed for the
2004 MLS Expansion Draft , where he was selected fifth overall byC.D. Chivas USA , but was cut before the season. He signed with Atlanta soon after.De la Torre's father, also Antonio, played in Mexico during the 70's and 80's, and appeared for the Mexican national team during the 1978 World Cup. His uncle, "Chepo", is the head coach of
Santos Laguna of thePrimera División de México .
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