Crew Land Columbian Striker

COLUMBUS, OH - February 5, 2010 - The Columbus Crew announced today that it has signed Colombian forward Sergio Herrera, who will be available upon receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and work visa. Per club and league policy, no further terms of the deal were disclosed.

The 6-foot, 183-pound frontrunner, who has scored four goals in 11 appearances for the Colombian national team, joins the Crew from Deportivo Cali of the Colombian First Division, where he scored 26 times in 92 games.

"We are excited to add a player of Sergio's experience and quality," said Crew head coach Robert Warzycha. "He is a proven goal scorer who has represented his country at the international level, and we are looking forward to integrating him into our team."

A native of Barrancabermeja, Colombia, the 28-year-old Herrera began his career with Colombian second-division club Alianza Petrolera in 1999, before joining Argentine second-division side Club Almagro for the 1999-2000 season. Herrera then returned to Colombia to play with América de Cali, where he helped the Red Devils to three consecutive Mustang Cup titles (league championships), from 2000 to 2002.

Following his time with América de Cali, Herrera returned to his original club, Alianza Petrolera, for the 2003 season, a prolific stint in which he tallied 25 goals in just 40 appearances. A return to América de Cali in 2004 saw him continue scoring at an impressive clip, notching 13 goals in 22 games.

His strike rate caught the attention of Saudi Premier League side Al Ittihad, the most-established club in Saudi Arabia, where in two seasons he helped the Tigers to the 2004 Crown Prince Cup and the 2005 AFC Champions League title. Herrera then returned to South America where he joined Brazilian club Atlético Paranaense in 2006.