The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Thursday that midfielder Julio Martinez will join the Fire on loan from Club León FC of Mexico's Second Division. Martinez will be added to the Fire's roster upon receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC). Per league policy, terms of the contract were not released.
Martinez, 24, played for the El Salvadoran national team in 2009 under then head coach, Carlos de los Cobos, where he earned 10 caps and scored two goals.
"Julio is a true professional with a winner's mentality who will come in and help our team," said Coach de los Cobos. "I could not be happier about his signing and look forward to incorporating him in with the rest of the guys."
A native of Coatepeque, El Salvador, Martinez started his career at the age of 17 playing for Once Lobos of El Salvador in 2003, spending one season with the club before being transferred to Isidro Metapán. From 2003 to 2009, Martinez helped Metapán to win three tournaments (Clausura 2007 and 2009, and Apertura 2008) and to reach the 2008/2009 CONCACAF Champions League.
"Martinez is an exciting player who's known for his middle-range shooting and ability to score goals and I think he'll make an excellent addition to our roster," said Fire technical director Frank Klopas.
In 2009, Martinez was acquired by Alianza F.C., where he stayed for a short period before signing with Mexican side Club León FC. In Mexico, he played seven games with the team, scoring three goals and contributing actively in the midfield. Martinez was part of León's preseason roster for the 2010 season before being loaned to Chicago Fire.
Martinez's contributions to these clubs led to him being called up for the El Salvador national team, where he suited up 10 times and contributed two goals to help the team reach the last phase of CONCACAF's qualifying stage (The Hexagonal) for the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers.
Name: Julio Enrique Martinez
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6'1
Born: July 8, 1985
Hometown: Coatepeque, El Salvador
Citizenship: El Salvador
Last Club: Club León
How Acquired: Loaned from Club León
Roster Status: International Player
In 2009, the Fire came within one game of making the MLS Cup, falling to MLS Cup champs, Real Salt Lake, during the Eastern Conference championship before a sold-out crowd at home. On Monday, January 11, the Fire announced Carlos de los Cobos as its new head coach.
Tickets are on sale for the Fire's Opening Night on April 10th at 7:30 PM CT. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-888-MLS-FIRE or by visiting www.chicago-fire.com
ABOUT CHICAGO FIRE SOCCER CLUB
Chicago Fire Soccer was founded on October 8, 1997 as a Major League Soccer expansion team. The Fire won the MLS Cup in its inaugural season in 1998 and was crowned the champion of U.S. Soccer's national tournament, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, in 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006. In June 2006, the Fire moved into its world-class home of TOYOTA PARK, located in Bridgeview, IL.
ABOUT TOYOTA PARK
Located 15 minutes from downtown Chicago and minutes from Midway airport off of I-55 on Harlem Avenue, TOYOTA PARK is the Midwest's preeminent outdoor live entertainment and sporting facility. Opened in 2006, TOYOTA PARK not only serves as the home of the Chicago Fire, but also hosts a variety of sporting events, special events and concerts by national and international artists. In 2009, artists ranging from Jimmy Buffett to Phish performed live at TOYOTA PARK.
