Sporting Kansas City announced today the signing of Honduran midfielder Jorge Claros and Swiss-Filipino midfielder Martin Steuble. Claros has been added to the team's roster and will be available for selection this weekend, while Steuble has been added to the team's roster and will join the squad in the near term.
“We are always looking for players to enhance our roster," Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes said. "Not only is the quality of Jorge and Martin high, but obviously with the injuries and things we have dealt with this season adding them will be a great benefit for the second half of the season.”
Claros has featured 53 times for the Honduras Men's National Team and has scored three goals since making his debut on Aug. 16, 2006. The 28-year-old midfielder appeared in eight matches during Honduras' successful World Cup qualifying campaign as well as in all three matches for Los Catrachos at the 2014 FIFA World Cup alongside former Sporting KC midfielder Roger Espinoza.
"I am very happy to be here," Claros said. "This is a big opportunity for me and I am thankful to Major League Soccer and to Sporting Kansas City. I hope to reward them for their faith in me with my play on the field."
The 5-foot-9 defensive midfielder began his career with Honduran club C.D.S. Vida in 2004 before joining Club Deportivo Motagua a year later. Following successful appearances at the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup, the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the 2008 Summer Olympics, Motagua loaned Claros to Scottish first division club Hibernian. Claros spent one-and-half years with Hibernian, leading the club to the 2012 and 2013 Scottish Cup Finals.
After returning to Motagua in the summer of 2013, Claros appeared in four matches for Honduras at the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, scoring the game-winning goal against El Salvador in the group stage. Claros started Honduras' 1-0 quarterfinal win over Costa Rica as well as the team's 3-1 loss to the U.S. Men's National Team in the semifinal round of the tournament.
Steuble joins Kansas City after seven years of professional soccer in Switzerland, most recently with Swiss Challenge League club FC Wil 1900. The 26-year-old Swiss-Filipino made five appearances in the Europa League, while playing for FC Lausanne-Sport and scored a goal in a 3-3 draw against AC Sparta Praha on Oct. 21, 2010.
"I am really excited to join Sporting KC," Steuble said. "I was there for a trial and loved what I saw. I felt good from the beginning and am honored that they offered me a contract. The team is doing very well right now and I'm just going to do whatever I can to help."
Steuble has featured nine times for the Philippines Men's National Team under head coach Thomas Dooley. He made his international debut on March 1, 2014 and opened his international scoring account in a 3-0 win over Nepal on April 11, 2014.
Sporting Kansas City now has 30 players under contract with the addition of Claros and Steuble to the team's roster. Two players (Christian Duke and Jimmy Medranda) are currently on loan to USL PRO affiliate OKC Energy FC and four players are unavailable due to injury (Chance Myers, Ike Opara, Peterson Joseph and Eric Kronberg).
Transaction: Sporting Kansas City (MLS) signs midfielders Jorge Claros and Martin Steuble
Jorge Claros (Hor-hay Cla-ros)
Position: Midfielder
Number: 20
Born: 1/8/86
Height: 5-9
Weight: 155
Hometown: La Ceiba, Honduras
Birthplace: La Ceiba, Honduras
Citizenship: Honduras
Martin Steuble (STOY-bleh)
Position: Midfielder
Number: 23
Born: 6/9/88
Height: 5-8 1m 74cm
Weight: 155 72 kilo
Hometown: Zurich, Switzerland
Birthplace: Schlieren, Switzerland
Citizenship: Switzerland; Philippines
Twitter: @Martin_Steuble
