FC Dallas gets Colombian defender

• by Soccer America , Jul 23, 2009

[MLS] FC Dallas, which is third-to-last in the overall standings, added Colombian Jair Benitez to its backline. The 30-year-old was acquired on loan from Deportivo Cali.

"Jair Benitez is going to be a very good addition for FC Dallas," said Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman. "He brings tremendous experience and athleticism to the left fullback position, one of the areas on our team that we had identified for improvement. In addition to being a good defender, Jair is a pure left-sided player that can get up and down the line, overlap and send in crosses."

Benitez (5-foot-7) has played in 344 games and scored 19 goals during his professional career, which began in 1999 and has been spent with seven Colombian clubs and Argentina's Colon. He won two Colombian league titles with Independiente Medellin.