Gerardo Torrado Brings Experience, Trophy-Winning Pedigree To Indy Eleven

Photo credit: Indy Eleven/German Alegria

The defensive midfielder comes to the United States after spending the last 11 seasons with Cruz Azul of Liga MX.

Here are some of Torrado’s career highlights:

What’s In A Name?: His full name is Gerardo Torrado Díez de Bonilla (his paternal surname name is Torrado; his maternal surname is Díez de Bonilla). To millions of fans he is known simply as El Borrego (The Sheep) for his crop of bushy hair (which is now closely cropped).

Mexico to Spain: After joining UNAM Pumas in 1997, Torrado became one of only a few Mexican players playing in Europe at the time when he joined Tenerife of Spain in 2000. He also played in Spain for Poli Ejido, Sevilla, and Racing Santander before returning to Mexico with Cruz Azul in 2005.

Mixing It Up With The Cement Mixers: At Cruz Azul, the rugged defensive midfielder was the team’s captain beginning in 2006, leading the club to three league finals and a CONCACAF Champions League Final in 2009 before Cruz Azul won the regional club title in April 2014. For the Liga MX side, he amassed over 350 appearances during his 11 seasons at the club. 

On The International Stage: Torrado made his international debut for Mexico at the 1999 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Nigeria. He debuted for the senior national team the same year in a friendly against Argentina and went on to play 146 times for El Tri, scoring six goals. His appearance mark is tied for second most appearances with the Mexican national team. He has played in three World Cups – 2002 in South Korea/Japan, 2006 in Germany, and 2010 in South Africa – during his international career.

Torrado was also a member of three Gold Cup squads that went on to win the CONCACAF competition – in 2003, 2009 (when he was voted to the Best XI), and 2011.