HOUSTON, TX — The Houston Dynamo have signed Mexican forward Luis Angel Landín as the club’s first designated player. Landin will join the club on a loan deal that runs through the end of 2010, at which time the club will have an option to acquire his rights permanently. Per league and club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Landín, 24, has appeared five times for the Mexican national team. He comes to the Dynamo on loan from Mexican club Cruz Azul, where he scored seven goals in the 2009 Clausura season. Landín was on loan to Cruz Azul from Monarcas Morelia, where he played from 2007-08.
Born in Zamora, Michoacán, Mexico, Landín came up through the Pachuca youth system and made his professional debut with Pachuca as a 19-year-old in 2004. He first caught the Dynamo’s attention playing against Houston in the 2007 CONCACAF Champions’ Cup. Later that year, Landín netted the decisive penalty kick in the shootout against Chivas that decided the Champions’ Cup title.
Landín, the first Mexican player to sign for the Dynamo, will occupy Houston’s designated player slot. The designated player rule was implemented prior to the 2007 MLS season granting each team the ability to sign a player whose salary, above a capped amount, will fall outside of the team salary budget. The cost above the salary budget is the financial responsibility of the club.
“I am looking forward to getting Luis involved with the team,” Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear said. “He is a player that will fit nicely into our system. I think we improved our team with an exciting, young, attacking player. We’ll get him training as soon as possible and get him ready to play in this physically demanding league.”
He will be eligible to play for the Dynamo in MLS games pending receipt of his P1 work visa. He will not be available for the Dynamo in the 2009-10 CONCACAF Champions League because he was named to Cruz Azul’s roster for the tournament.
To make room on the roster for Landín, the Dynamo released forward Ade Akinbiyi.
LUIS ANGEL LANDÍN
Pronunciation: loo-EES AHN-hell lan-DEEN
Position: Forward
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 160 lbs.
Date of Birth: July 23, 1985
Birthplace: Zamora, Michoacán, Mexico
Citizenship: Mexico
Last Club: Cruz Azul
How Acquired: Signed as first designated player in team history on 8/20/09
Status: Senior international
COMMENT
Is Landin going to work in MLS? Is he going to bomb like Davino in Dallas?
