Antonio de la Torre (soccer)

Antonio de la Torre García (born November 18, 1977,) is a former Mexican-American soccer defender, who recently played for the Atlanta Silverbacks of the USL First Division. De la Torre holds dual citizenship in Mexico and the United States.

Antonio de la Torre
Personal information
Full name Antonio de la Torre García
Date of birth (1977-11-18) November 18, 1977
Place of birth Guadalajara, Mexico
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is de la Torre and the second or maternal family name is García.

Before joining MLS, de la Torre played most of his career in Mexico's Primera A, the second division. He played for Atlante F.C. in the Primera Division.[1]

He joined MLS for the 2004 season, signing with the Colorado Rapids,[2] 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.[3] However, near the end of the season, coach Tim 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 by C.D. Chivas USA, but was cut before the season. He signed with Atlanta soon after.

De la Torre's father, Antonio de la Torre Villalpando, played in Mexico during the 70's and 80's, and appeared for Mexico during the 1978 World Cup tournament. His uncle, "Chepo", is the head coach of CD Guadalajara of the Primera División de México , actually he works as a construction worker in Atlanta and RETO

References
  1. "Liga MX player profile and statistics". MedioTiempo.com.
  2. "Rapids Sign Mexican Standout Antonio de la Torre". Major League Soccer. 2004-03-22.
  3. Pearce, Alan (2004-08-07). "RAPIDS PLAYER IS TALK OF MLS DE LA TORRE SEEN AS CHIVAS NATURAL". Rocky Mountain News. Archived from the original on 2012-11-03.
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