Seattle Sounders Sign Honduras International Mario Martinez On Loan

Coming right on the heels of the news that the Seattle Sounders have signed Christian Tiffert and traded Alvaro Fernandez to the Chicago Fire comes word that the club has signed midfielder Mario Martinez on loan from Honduran club Real España. The 22-year-old is currently in London with the Honduras Olympic team and played 88 minutes in Thursday's 2-2 draw against Morocco. Martinez has experience as both a central and left midfielder and has spent time on loan with Norweigen side Vålerenga and Belgian club R.S.C. Anderlecht.

While it is unclear what role Martinez will play for the Sounders, the signing of such a talented young player with an excellent pedigree will likely ease the pain of losing Alvaro Fernandez somewhat. According to at least one report out of Honduras, the deal is for one year with the Sounders having an option to buy. Though a relative unknown in the US, Martinez is clearly a player with tremendous potential. Depending on how he develops, this move could end up being something much more significant than an afterthought to the bigger news of the day.

Seattle Sounders Trade Alvaro Fernandez To Chicago Fire For Allocation Money

In order to make way for the signing of new Designated Player Christian Tiffert for FC Kaiserslautern, the Seattle Sounders have traded Alvaro Fernandez to the Chicago Fire for an undisclosed amount of allocation money. It was apparent early in the day that one of the Sounders current DPs was likely to be on the move after the news of Tiffert's imminent signing began to make its way from Germany to the US, and Fernandez always appeared the most likely to move on.

Fernandez had a somewhat rocky start to his career in Seattle, often finding himself second choice to Sanna Nyassi after joining the Sounders in the middle of the 2010 season. The Uruguay international scored two goals in 12 games (with just four starts) in his first half-season in MLS as he had difficulty adjusting to the physical nature of the league. Fernandez put those struggles behind him in 2011, scoring nine times in league play and becoming a key part of Seattle's high-octane attack. One of El Flaco's most memorable moments came in Seattle's CONCACAF Champions League game in Monterrey, the winger fighting through the Rayados defense to score the winner and give the Sounders a signature win.

Seattle Sounders Reportedly Sign Christian Tiffert From FC Kaiserslautern

According to numerous reports, Christian Tiffert has become the Sounders' latest Designated Player.