WASHINGTON -- D.C. United added its second South American player in as many days Wednesday, signing Colombian defender Gonzalo Martinez, and a third apparently is on the way.
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Argentine midfielder Marcelo Gallardo said Tuesday he has accepted an offer from the four-time Major League Soccer champion and will travel next week to Washington to sign the contract.
The club did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment.
Martinez, 32, joins United from Millonarios of the Colombian first division. He will take part in preseason training camp and will be added to the roster once he has received his work visa and other paperwork.
Martinez has made 36 appearances with Colombia's national team, including qualifiers for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. He has played with clubs in Italy and Paraguay as well as Colombia.
Martinez follows Argentine forward Franco Niell, whom United obtained on a one-year loan from Argentinos Juniors on Tuesday.
Gallardo recently left Paris Saint-Germain after earning little playing time. He told a Buenos Aires radio station that he thinks Washington would be a good choice for his family where he can end his career in peace.
He expressed his distaste for the bench at PSG.
"I don't want to have to again live through that...not playing in the past few months," he said.
He added he also received an overture from Argentine club San Lorenzo but said he didn't think it was the best fit.
Gallardo said he also talked with a former River Plate colleague from the late 1990s, Colombian forward Juan Pablo Angel, who plays with the New York Red Bulls.
"It helped me to think things through," Gallardo said, adding his family helped his decision-making. "I am satisfied because I believe when one makes a well thought-out decision and does it as a family, that's the best."
Other Latin Americans currently playing for DC United include Argentine Christian Gomez and Bolivia's Jaime Moreno.
