Roman Aureliano Torres Morcillo is a Panamanian footballer who plays as a defender for Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer. He also represents the Panama national side, where he is regarded as the 'star player' for the national side. Club career
Torres started his career at Chepo and played alongside compatriot Anthony Basile at Colombian side Cortulua from January 2006. His performances gained him notice with several clubs, particularly with English Championship sides Blackpool and Swansea City during the winter transfer market in 2010. However, a move to England never materialised. Millonarios FC
More recently, his continued good form at Millonarios FC caused Roman to be linked with a move to Brazilian side Palmeiras, though this too failed to materialize. He was a champion of the Colombian national football tournament Liga Postobón II 2012 with Millonarios, for whom he played over 100 matches. Seattle Sounders FC
On 12 August 2015, Torres signed with American club Seattle Sounders FC. He made his debut for the club on 18 August, during a 4–0 win over Orlando City SC in Seattle. On 10 December 2016, Torres scored the Cup-winning penalty in a shoot-out against Toronto FC to win the MLS Cup, the first in Sounders history. International career
Torres was a member of the Panama U-20 squad that took part in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Cup in the Netherlands. Torres has made 108 appearances for the full Panama national football team, including qualifying matches for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup. He made his debut at the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup against South Africa on July 17, 2005. He also made three appearances at the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup. On October 10, 2017, during the final qualifying match for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Torres scored the game winning goal against Costa Rica with 3 minutes left in the game, which combined with the United States' loss to Trinidad and Tobago, helped Panama qualify for their first ever World Cup, making him a national hero. |
