Loan of Erick Torres to Chivas USA could help team, player

Chivas USA is last in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference, is averaging less than a goal a game and hasn’t won a match since March.

But you can’t accuse them of giving up.

On Wednesday, the team acquired forward Erick Torres on loan from its Mexican League sister club, Chivas of Guadalajara, in an effort to jump-start an offense that ranks last in the conference with 16 goals in 18 games.

For Torres, meanwhile, the move to MLS offers a much-needed chance to jump-start a once-promising career that has stalled.

“Erick’s arrival is very important to Chivas USA as he will strengthen an area of the team that most needs it,” Coach Jose Luis Real said in a statement. “He’s a different and highly experienced player.”

Torres, 20, made his debut with Chivas in Mexico at age 17, scoring in his first game. He was looked on at the time as the heir apparent to former Guadalajara star Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, who had moved on to Manchester United of the English Premier League.

But Torres never lived up to the hype, and this spring he played just 121 minutes in five first-team games in the Mexican Clasura tournament and did not score a goal.

Torres is with Chivas USA in Philadelphia, where the team will meet the Union on Friday. However, Torres will not be eligible to play until his international transfer certificate and P-1 Visa paperwork are completed.

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