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SEATTLE - Honduran Olympic midfielder Mario Martinez will have a new club team to come home to when he returns from the London Games, acquired by the Seattle Sounders in a loan from Real Espana.
The three-time defending U.S. Open Cup champion announced the acquisition Wednesday via a press release, saying it had obtained the 23-year-old Martinez's U.S. signing rights from Real Salt Lake for a conditional selection in the annual Major League Soccer draft.
Martinez has played all three first-round games for Honduras at the London Games, helping the Catrachos to their first trip to the quarterfinals. They will play Brazil on Saturday.
He has played more than 50 times for Real Espana since joining the club in 2006 in his hometown of San Pedro Sula, and played with Valerenga of Norway and Anderlecht of Belgium in 2009-2010.
He also has 17 caps for the Honduran senior national team, the Sounders said.
Seattle was to open its third consecutive CONCACAF Champions League campaign Thursday at home against Caledonia AIA of Trinidad and Tobago. Martinez played in last year's Champions League with Real Espana, scoring one goal in five games.
