Chivas USA announced today that the club has acquired Colombian defender, John Alexander Valencia, and Salvadoran midfielder Marvin Iraheta. 30-year-old Valencia, who most recently played for Corporación Popular Deportiva Junior, better known as Atletico Junior, won the Colombian 2011 Fall Championship this past December, and now will join the Red-and-White pending receipt of his ITC and P-1 Visa. As for Iraheta 19, he has already incorporated in the Goats pre-season workouts; he arrived at the Red and White through its youth academy after it merged with Cosmos Academy West last year. Per league and team policy, details of the contract were not revealed.
“John is a player we have been scouting for some time now,” said Chivas USA General Manager, Jose Domene. “He is a great defender that just became champion in Colombia and will help reinforce our backline and help our team win. We are looking forward to his arrival and having him on the Goats squad.”
Valencia, 30, originally from Medellin, Colombia has played for Corporacion Popular Deportiva Junior (Atletico Junior) since the fall of 2007 where he accumulated a total of 114 appearances with a total of 112 of those as a starter. Prior to arriving with ‘Los Tiburones’ he played for Independiente Medellin from 2005 through the spring of 2007.
Iraheta, 19, born in Departamento Cabañas, El Salvador, was named the Player of the Year for 2009-2010 season of the US Developmental Academy U 17/18 and played against Manchester United on the New York Cosmos squad that was put together for the club’s inaugural match in Old Trafford, England.
