Houston Dynamo FC signed midfielder Adalberto “Coco” Carrasquilla on loan from FC Cartagena in Spain’s LaLiga 2, the clubs announced today. The loan is pending receipt of his P-1 Visa.
“Adalberto is a player whose progress we’ve been tracking in Spain for quite some time, and someone who we got to know even better during his time in Houston for the Gold Cup,” said Senior Vice President and General Manager Matt Jordan. “His quality as a player and his character as a person will make him a great fit with our group as we continue to strengthen our roster during this transfer window.”
The midfielder joins Houston after two seasons in LaLiga 2 with FC Cartagena making 49 appearances for the club. Carrasquilla joined Cartagena in 2019 and led the club to a promotion to LaLiga 2 following a 4-3 penalty kick shootout victory over Atletico Baleares on July 19, 2020. FC Cartagena won three out of its final five matches in the 2020/2021 season to secure their place in LaLiga 2 this season. The 22-year-old scored one goal and tallied an assist in 28 appearances in his last season with the club.
Carrasquilla made his professional debut in Tauro FC’s 1-0 victory over FC Dallas on Feb. 22, 2018 in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions League Round of 16 series. The midfielder started in both legs of the series as the Panamanian club eliminated the North Texas side via the away goals rule following a 3-3 draw in the aggregate score. The Panama City native also claimed the 2018-2019 Apertura title with a 2-1 victory over Costa del Este on Dec. 1, 2018.
“Adalberto is a young player who has excellent technical ability in possession, as well as the creativity to generate opportunities for his teammates and for himself,” Dynamo head coach Tab Ramos said. “Although there were several teams looking to add him, we are happy that he chose to be in Houston with our club.”
Recognized as one of the top young talents in Concacaf, the 22-year-old represented Panama at the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup and has earned 19 appearances for Los Canaleros. Carrasquilla represented Panama at both Group D games at BBVA Stadium and tallied an assist in Panama’s 3-1 victory over Grenada in the final group stage game. The midfielder made his international debut as a 19-year-old in Panama’s 1-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago on April 18, 2018.
