FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution exercised the permanent MLS transfer options on forward Cristian Penilla and midfielder Luis Caicedo following their year-long loans from Liga MX side Pachuca and Colombian club Cortuluá, respectively.
“This year both Penilla and Caicedo were impactful players on the field for us and we felt it was important to exercise both players’ permanent transfer options at the start of the offseason,” General Manager Michael Burns said. “We look forward to seeing both players continue to grow and contribute to the team’s success moving forward.”
On loan from Liga MX side Pachuca, Penilla, 27, started 33 games for the Revolution in 2018. The Ecuadorian attacker scored 12 goals for New England, which tied for the third most among all MLS newcomers in 2018. He also added seven assists and paced New England in shot attempts (95) and shots on goal (38).
- WATCH all 12 of Cristian Penilla’s Golden Boot-winning goals in 2018.
- WATCH Luis Caicedo head home his first MLS goal on July 14 vs. LA Galaxy.
In addition to winning the club’s Golden Boot, Penilla’s debut season earned him a number of club honors, including the 2018 JetBlue Team MVP Award as voted on by fans. He was also recognized by his teammates as the Players’ Player of the Year, and honored by supporters as the Midnight Riders’ Man of the Year.
Caicedo, 22, spent the 2018 season on loan with New England from Categoría Primera B side Cortuluá in his native Colombia. He totaled 30 appearances, including 29 starts, with one goal and four assists, while his 2,590 minutes of action ranked fifth on the Revolution. After joining the club in March 2018, the defensive midfielder played all 90 minutes in 27 of his 29 starts, including 16 consecutive starts from March 31 through July 14.
TRANSACTION: New England Revolution exercise the permanent MLS transfer options on forward Cristian Penilla and midfielder Luis Caicedo on Nov. 1, 2018.
