Chivas USA announced today that the club has acquired Mexican striker Cesar Romero. The 22 year-old Romero, whom most recently played for Murcielagos FC de Guamuchil in Mexico’s second division, joined the Red-and-White as a trialist shortly after pre-season camp had initiated for the Goats. Vagenas, 33, midfielder, native of Pasadena, California, joins Chivas USA after spending last season with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. McKenzie, 25, defender from Hartford, Connecticut, joins the Goats after spending the last two seasons with Real Salt Lake. Per league and team policy, details of the contracts were not revealed.
“We are very pleased to sign Cesar,” said Chivas USA Head Coach, Robin Fraser. “He is a young player who has come in and done quite well in pre-season. He’s got good pace, he’s got a good nose for the goal, he has proven to make himself difficult to be marked by opposing defenses and we think that he has a bright future.”
Romero, 22, originally from San Diego, California, has played with USMNT U-16’s, U-17’s and U-18’s figuring prominently in several matches for the US. Most recently he played for PASL’s Revolucion Tijuana (of Mexico’s Federacion Nacional de Futbol Rapido) where he scored 9 goals in one match, feat that earned him Player of the Week honors in early January; and not to be outdone would repeat his accomplishment by scoring 9 goals one more time in another match, totaling 33 goals in four games played for Tijuana. Prior to joining Revolucion, he played last season for Murcielagos FC de Guamuchil of Mexico’s Second Division.
Peter Vagenas, 33, a native of Pasadena, California, joins Chivas USA after spending the past season with Western Conference rival, Vancouver Whitecaps FC where in 2011 he played in 16 matches, 13 of which were as a starter, with a total of 1,042 total minutes. Prior to arriving to Whitecaps FC, Vagenas played two seasons with the Seattle Sounders FC, who selected him as the sixth pick in the 2008 MLS Expansion Draft. The career stats for the 12 year MLS veteran add up as follows: 220 total matches with 193 starts, 14 goals scored and 27 assists with a total of 16,832 minutes.
McKenzie, 25, originally from Hartford, Connecticut, joins the Red-and-White squad after spending his last two seasons with Western Conference foe, Real Salt Lake. Prior to RSL, Rauwshan began his MLS career in 2008 with the Kansas City Wizards where he spent 2 years. McKenzie’s career totals amount to the following: 11 matches with 9 starts in 841 total minutes.
