The Houston Dynamo have signed forward Romell Quioto, the club announced today. Quioto joins the Dynamo on a full transfer, pending the receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
Quioto previously played for CD Olimpia in the Honduran Liga Nacional. The Dynamo used Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) to secure the services of Quioto, who becomes the third. player to join the Dynamo this week. Houston introduced Honduran forward Alberth Elis on Tuesday and Panamanian defender Adolfo Machado on Wednesday. Additionally, the club selected defender Leonardo in Stage Two of the Major League Soccer Re-Entry Draft on Thursday.
“We are pleased to secure the transfer of Romell Quioto to the Houston Dynamo. He is a player who is in the prime of his career and a constant threat to opposing defenses,” said Dynamo Vice President and General Manager Matt Jordan. “We’ve added one of the top attacking talents in CONCACAF and a player whose speed, athleticism, and ability to score goals will be a welcomed addition to our attack as we build towards the 2017 season.”
Quioto has played on both wings and has also led the attack from the striker position during his career. The 25-year-old has earned 27 caps with the Honduran national team and has scored four goals, including three tallies in 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying. Quioto has long been a fixture in the Honduran national team setup, having appeared twice for the Under-20 national team in 2010, scoring a goal in three appearances for the Under-23 national team in 2012, and representing his country in the 2016 Rio Olympics with five appearances with one goal.
With Los Catrachos, Quioto has played not only with Elis, but also alongside current Dynamo midfielder Boniek García. In the most recent round of FIFA World Cup Qualifying matches, Quioto scored from a pass by García against Trinidad & Tobago. Quioto also teamed with Elis on the Honduran Olympic team and delivered a pair of assists to his new Dynamo teammate.
“Romell is balanced and strong. He’s also a goal scorer and just like Alberth he is a starter for the Honduran national team,” said Dynamo head coach Wilmer Cabrera. “Romell plays on the left even though he is naturally a right-footed player. He has also played as a central forward and he is Olimpia’s goal scorer. He’s the type of player we need. Both Romell and Alberth bring a lot of creativity and speed to our front line and they can play in space, on the sideline, in a central position or from the midfield.”
A native of Balfate, Honduras, Quioto joined Olimpia from C.D. Vida on January 5, 2014 and scored 36 goals in 78 appearances over three years, helping Los Leones to the Liga Nacional Clausura (spring) championship in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Quioto has scored 56 goals in 155 matches in La Liga Nacional de Honduras with Vida and Olimpia, including 36 in 78 appearances for Olimpia since 2014. He also played nine times for Wisła Kraków in the Polish Ekstraklasa (first division) on loan from Vida in 2012.
Quioto scored 13 goals in the 2013-14 season between Vida and Olimpia and followed that up with 16 goals for Olimpia in the 2014-15 campaign. In the 2015-16 campaign, Quioto found the net nine times, and in the 2016 Apertura (fall) season, he added another seven goals to help Olimpia to the top of the Liga Nacional table.
Olimpia is the same club that produced Dynamo midfielders Boniek García and José Escalante, as well as Houston’s most recent transfer signing, forward Alberth Elis, former Dynamo midfielder Luis Garrido and forward Carlo Costly. The Dynamo also worked with Honduran club Social Sol FC to complete the transfer of Quioto.
With the addition of Quioto, the Houston Dynamo now have 18 players on the roster for the 2017 season. The Honduran is the seventh player to occupy an international roster spot for the Dynamo, joining defender Agus, midfielder Alex, forward Mauro Manotas, forward Erick Torres, Elis and Machado.
The Dynamo open the 2017 season on Saturday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m. CST against the defending MLS Cup Champion Seattle Sounders FC at BBVA Compass Stadium. Tickets for the opening match start at $20 and are on sale now at HoustonDynamo.com, by phone at 713-276-GOAL and at the BBVA Compass Stadium box office. Season tickets for the entire 2017 home campaign are also available, starting at $310, by phone at 713-276-GOAL.
