Monday, February 29, 2016

Advantage Mexico - CCL Update

It was a rough week in the CCL for MLS clubs as none of the league's four remaining teams managed to knock off their Mexican opponents in the first leg of the quarterfinals. In total, the four MLS teams managed just two goals (both by Clint Dempsey) en route to two 2-0 losses and two home draws. Now, with backs to the wall, all four teams essentially face must-win games this week if any MLS club is to reach the semifinals. Here's a quick look at each team's needs ahead of their second leg match:

LA Galaxy - Arguably in the best shape of any of the four MLS teams, the Galaxy did not concede an away goal in their 0-0 home draw with Santos Laguna which means they can advance with a 1-1 draw or better.

Seattle Sounders - Seattle blew a pair of leads against América at home and because they conceded two away goals, likely will need a win when they travel to Estadio Azteca. A high scoring draw (2-2 or better) could also be enough to send the Sounders through.

DC United - United held Querétaro scoreless for 70 minutes before conceding twice late in the match. United forced keeper Tiago Volpi into making nine saves, but couldn't get on the scoresheet, and now need a shutout win of 2-0 or better, or they need to win by at least three goals.

Real Salt Lake - Like DC United, RSL went nearly 70 minutes without conceding, and allowed an 86th minute insurance goal to put them in a 2-0 hole against Tigres as they head home. RSL will also need a shutout win of 2-0 or better, or they need to win by at least three goals.

2015-16 CCL Goal Scorers By Nationality - Quarterfinal Leg 1 Update

Argentina (12)

Emanuel Villa - Querétaro F.C. - 6
Jonathan Hansen - Herediano - 2
Diego González - Santos Laguna - 1
Carlos Izquierdoz - Santos Laguna - 1
Juan Manuel Martínez - Real Salt Lake - 1
Rubens Sambueza - Club América - 1

Belize (2)

Deon McCaulay - Verdes FC - 2

Brazil (3)

Danilinho - Querétaro F.C. - 1
Ricardinho Paraiba - Santa Tecla - 1
Israel Silva - Motagua - 1

Who's Adding Who - New York City FC

In:

D Ethan White (12/10/15 - trade from Philadelphia) - After a disappointing season in which City conceded 58 goals, White marked their first move of the offseason on defense. White debuted in MLS as a homegrown player for DC United in 2011, and has made as least 12 starts four times in his career. All told, the former U.S. Youth International has tallied 66 appearances for DC and Philadelphia and scored one goal as a rookie in 2011.
M Jack Harrison (1/14/16 - trade from Chicago) - As a freshman at Wake Forest, Harrison was an NSCAA First Team All-American, the ACC Offensive Player of the Year, ACC Freshman of the Year, and the Gatorade National Player of the Year. Harrison finished 2015 with eight goals and 11 assists en route to being the first overall pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. Harrison was traded to City for the fourth overall pick in the draft and allocation money.
D Ronald Matarrita (1/20/16 - transfer from Alajuelense) - Despite being just 21, Matarrita already has six CAPs for Costa Rica's senior national team. His entire professional career to this point has been with Costa Rica power club Alajuelense for whom he debuted in 2012. Matarrita is primarily a left back, but can also slot in at left midfield.
D Diego Martinez (1/22/16 - free) - Another outside back, the 23 year old Argentine has spent his entire professional career in Argentina with River Plate or on loan to Argentina's lower divisions.
M Mikey Lopez (1/26/16 - free) - The 14th overall pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft, Lopez didn't debut in MLS until 2014 and tallied just 14 appearances in his three years with Sporting Kansas City. Lopez was a member of the U.S. U-20s in 2012 and 2013.
D Frederic Brillant (1/28/16 - transfer from Oostende) - The 30 year old French defender comes to New York by way of Belgium after spending the past few seasons with KV Oostende. Brillant debuted professionally in 2005 and has spent his entire professional career in Belgium amassing over 250 appearances.
M Federico Bravo (2/20/16 - loan from Boca Juniors) - Bravo joins City on a season long loan from Boca Juniors, whom he's been with since 2013. A defensive midfielder by trade, Bravo's versatility has been praised by head coach Patrick Vieira.


Out:
 
GK Ryan Meara (11/26/15 - loan expired) - New York Red Bulls
M Ned Grabavoy (12/4/15 - option declined) - Portland Timbers
D Kwame Watson-Siriboe (12/4/15 - option declined)
D Jeb Brovsky (12/4/15 - option declined)
M Pablo Alvarez (12/4/15 - option declined)
D Angeliño (12/4/15 - loan expired) - Manchester City (England)
D Shay Facey (12/4/15 - loan expired) - Rotherham United (England) on loan from Manchester City
M Javier Calle (12/4/15 - loan expired) - Medellín (Colombia)
M Sebastian Velasquez (12/4/15 - out of contract) - Rayo OKC (NASL)
D Chris Wingert (1/30/16 - waived) - Real Salt Lake

Who's Adding Who - DC United - Update 1

Updates in Red

In

M Lamar Neagle (12/7/15 - trade from Seattle) - Neagle delivered a career year in 2014 with 9 goals and 9 assists en route to a Seattle Sounders Supporters' Shield and U.S. Open Cup Title, but he struggled to have the same impact in 2015. Despite making 23 starts, Neagle had just four goals and two assists last season. Now 28, Neagle joins a DC United attack that tied for the second fewest goals in the Eastern Conference last year.
M Patrick Nyarko (1/6/16 - trade from Chicago) - Nyarko spent his first 8 MLS seasons with the Chicago Fire logging 196 appearances. During a three-year stretch from 2010-2012, he averaged nearly nine assists a year with a career best of 10 in 2010. Nyarko made his international debut with Ghana in 2012.
M Marcelo Sarvas (2/1/16 - trade from Colorado) - A two-time MLS Champion with the LA Galaxy, Sarvas delivered two goals and two assists during the 2014 postseason after an 11-assist regular season. Sarvas joined the Rapids before the 2015 season and was unable to duplicate the success he found in LA scoring just twice and adding only one assist in 25 appearances. The 34 Brazilian has played professionally in Brazil, Sweden, Poland and Costa Rica before coming to MLS before the 2012 season.
M Luciano Acosta (2/15/16 - loan from Boca Juniors) - Just 5'3", the diminuitive 21 year-old playmaker debuted with Boca Juniors  (Argentina) in February 2014 and spent the 2015 season on loan to Estudiantes (Argentina). His loan to DC United is for the entire 2016 season.
M Rob Vincent (2/17/16 - transfer from Pittsburgh) - Born in Liverpool, Vincent has spent his entire professional career in the United States in the PDL and USL. Vincent finished third in the USL last season with 18 goals for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds earning himself a spot on the 2015 USL All-League team.
M Paul Clowes (2/19/16 - SuperDraft) - The 2015 ACC Midfielder of the year was a Second Team NSCAA All-American in his Senior Year with Clemson. He started 24 games in 2015 for the 17-3-4 Tigers scoring two goals and adding one assist.

Out

F Eddie Johnson (11/1/15 - retired)
F Jairo Arrieta (12/7/15 - option declined) - New York Cosmos (NASL)
M Michael Farfan (12/7/15 - option declined) - Seattle Sounders
M Facundo Coria (12/7/15 - waived)
M Perry Kitchen (12/7/15 - out of conract)
M Chris Pontius (12/7/15 - traded to Philadelphia) - Philadelphia Union
F Conor Doyle (2/9/16 - traded to Colorado) - Colorado Rapids
M Antonio Nocerino (2/18/16 - traded to Orlando City) - Orlando City SC

Friday, February 19, 2016

Who's Adding Who - Columbus Crew - Update 1

Updates in Red

In:

D Corey Ashe (12/18/15 - free agency) - Ashe had spent his entire MLS career with the Houston Dynamo until being dealt to Orlando City midseason last year. The two-time MLS All-Star has appeared in over 200 MLS matches since his 2007 debut, and tallied three assists in just nine appearances with Orlando City in 2015.
M Emil Larsen (1/22/16 - free) - Larsen joins the Crew by way of Danish Superliga's Odense Boldklub. The 24 year-old winger has extensive experience with Denmark's youth National Teams and has been capped five times with the senior National Team dating back to 2012.
F Conor Casey (1/26/16 - free agency) - While Casey is no longer the prolific scorer who tallied 40 goals for the Rapids between 2008 and 2010, even at 34 years old, he's still a threat to score. Despite playing only 340 minutes for the Union in 2015, Casey scored three goals and added an assist. The 2010 MLS Cup MVP and 2009 member of the MLS Best XI has 71 career goals, good for 22nd-most all-time.
D Amro Tarek (2/3/16 - loan from Real Betis) - Born in LA, the former Egyptian Youth International signed a four-year deal with Real Betis last July. His loan is currently through June with an option to extend the loan through December. Primarily a left back, the 23 year old has had professional stints in Germany and Egypt before his move to La Liga in Spain.
M Rodrigo Saravia (2/4/16 - SuperDraft) - The 19th overall pick in this year's Super Draft and Flordia Gulf Coast alum made his international debut with his native Guatemala earlier this month. Saravia was a four year starter with FGCU notching two goals and seven assists in 67 career appearances. He helped lead FGCU to four A-Sun regular season championships, two A-Sun Tournament titles and two berths in the NCAA Championship.
F Ola Kamara (2/4/16 - transfer from Austria Wien) - The 26 year-old Norwegian international will give the Crew the option of starting a pair of Kamaras up top. Kamara spent the 2015 season on loan from Austria Wien (Austria) to Molde FK (Norway) where he finished fourth in the league with 14 goals in 29 appearances. Kamara has scored once for Norway in a friendly against Moldova in 2014.


Out:
D Emanuel Pogatetz (12/7/15 - option declined) - Union Berlin (Germany)
M Kristinn Steindorsson (12/7/15 - option declined) - GIF Sundsvall (Sweden)
M Ben Speas (12/7/15 - out of contract) - Minnesota United FC (NASL)
GK Matt Lampson (12/7/15 - out of contract)
M Kevan George (12/7/15 - out of contract)
F Aaron Schoenfeld (12/7/15 - out of contract) - Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israel)
D Chris Klute (12/11/15 - traded to Portland) - Portland Timbers
F Jack McInerney (1/13/16 - traded to Portland) - Portland Timbers
D Sergio Campbell (2/12/16 - waived)
M Romain Gall (2/12/16 - waived)

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Who's Adding Who - Colorado Rapids - Update 2

Latest moves in red.

In:

M Micheal Azira (12/9/15 - Waiver Draft) - The Ugandan-born Azira spent the last two seasons with the Seattle Sounders appearing in 25 regular season matches including 11 in 2015. Now 28, Azira has yet to notch a goal or an assist in MLS.
M Marco Pappa (12/15/15 - trade from Seattle) - The veteran Guatemalan midfielder is entering his eighth MLS season, the last two of which were spent with the Sounders. Pappa has scored at least five goals five times, and recorded as least five assists four times including a career-best six in 2015. Pappa has scored 11 goals for Guatemala an was named the Golden Ball Winner at the 2014 Copa Centroamericana as the tournament's best player.
M Zach Pfeffer (1/15/16 - trade from Philadelphia) - Pfeffer is getting ready for his sixth MLS season despite just turning 21 earlier this month. Signed to a homegrown player deal at the age of 15 with the Union, Pfeffer had his best MLS season in 2015 appearing in 21 matches while also getting playing time for the USMNT U-23s.
F Shkëlzen Gashi (2/1/16 - transfer from Basel) - The 27 year old Albanian striker joins the Rapids from FC Basel on a designated player contract after spending the past 10 seasons in Switzerland. The Swiss Super League Golden Boot Winner for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 campaigns combined to score 41 regular season goals in that two-year stretch.
D Mekeil Williams (2/4/16 - transfer from Antigua GFC) - A member of Trinidad and Tobago's National Team, Williams played most recently with Antigua GFC in Guatemala before making the move to MLS. Now 25 years old, Williams has played professionally in Europe with Pogoń Szczecin (Poland) and FC Fyn (Denmark).
F Conor Doyle (2/9/16 - trade from D.C. United) - Doyle started his professional career with Derby County before coming to MLS on loan in 2013 where he remained until the trade to Colorado. Doyle, who has played for youth national teams from the U.S. and Ireland, started a career high ten games in 2015, scoring a pair of goals. In his career he has four goals and one assist in 56 appearances (19 starts).
D Eric Miller (2/14/16 - trade from Montreal Impact) - A member of the USMNT U-23s, Miller debuted with the Impact in 2014, but was limited to just nine appearances (six starts) in 2015. The fifth overall pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, Miller has primarily served as a right back, but could also see time on the left this season.
Out:

D James Riley (12/3/15 - option declined)
D Drew Moor (12/3/15 - option declined) - Toronto FC
M Nick LaBrocca (12/3/15 - option declined) - Chicago Fire
M Lucas Pittinari (12/3/15 - option declined) - Belgrano (Argentina)
M Vicente Sánchez (12/3/15 - option declined)
M Carlos Alvarez (12/3/15 - option declined) - San Antonio FC (USL)
F Charles Eloundou (12/3/15 - option declined) - Jacksonville Armada (NASL)
F Gabriel Torres (12/3/15 - option declined) - Zamora FC (Venezuela)
D Michael Harrington (12/3/15 - out of contract) - Chicago Fire
GK Clint Irwin (1/18/16 - traded to Toronto) - Toronto FC
D Maynor Figueroa (1/26/16 - traded to Dallas) - FC Dallas
M Juan Ramirez (1/26/16 - loaned to Almeria) - UD Almería (Spain)
M Marcelo Sarvas (2/1/16 - traded to D.C. United) - DC United

Who's Adding Who - Chicago Fire - Update 2

Latest moves in red.

In:

F Joey Calistri (12/17/15 - Homegrown) - Calistri was a four-year starter for Northwestern and finished his career as the Wildcats' second all-time leading scorer. In total, Calistri ended up with 30 goals and 14 assists including three goals and a career high six assists as a senior.
M Drew Conner (12/17/15 - Homegrown) - Conner was a four-year starter for the University of Wisconsin and served as the team's captain in 2015. In his four years with the Badgers, he amassed 73 starts scoring six goals while tallying 12 assists.
D Brandon Vincent (1/14/16 - SuperDraft) - One of Jurgen Klinsmann's surprise additions to the January USMNT camp, Vincent enjoyed a stellar senior season for National Champion Stanford that included being named the 2015 College Cup's Most Outstanding Defensive Player. Vincent scored six goals and added two assists in 23 matches for the 18-2-3 Cardinal.
D Jonathan Campbell (1/14/16 - SuperDraft) - A Senior defender from the University of North Carolina, Campbell had a goal and four assists for the 15-2-3 Tarheels who reached the third round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament before falling 1-0 to Creighton.
D Michael Harrington (1/18/16 - free agency) - The third overall pick in the 2007 SuperDraft, Harrington needs just 4 more starts to reach 200 as he enters his 10th MLS season. Harrington has played with Kansas City, Portland and most recently Colorado for whom he started 14 matches in 2015. Harrington finished third in the 2007 Rookie of the Year voting.
GK Patrick McLain (1/18/16 - free) - McLain was with Chivas USA in 2012 and 2013 and made a pair of MLS appearances for the Goats. He spent the 2015 season with the Sacramento Republic (USL) going 11-8-5 with six shutouts and a 1.25 goals against average.
D João Meira (1/23/16 - free) - Meira is a 28 year-old Portuguese central defender who played most recently for Belenenses, who he helped return to the Portuguese top flight.
M Nick LaBrocca (1/27/16 - free agency) - The 31 year-old LaBrocca gets ready for his 10th MLS season after previous stints with Colorado, Toronto and Chivas USA. An All-Star with Chivas USA in 2011 when he scored a career high eight goals and six assists, LaBrocca made just six starts in 2015 with the Colorado Rapids.
D Johan Kappelhof (2/2/16 - transfer from Groningen) - The 25 year-old former Ajax youth academy member comes to the Fire after spending the past five seasons with Groningen, currently in 10th place in the Dutch Eredivisie. Kappelhof appeared in a handful of matches for the Netherlands U21s between 2011 and 2013.
D Rodrigo Ramos (2/3/16 - loan from Coritiba) - The 19 year old Ramos features on Brazil's U-20 National Team and is a 2015 U-20 World Cup veteran. Ramos made his professional debut last June with Coritiba of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.
 
Out:
D Adaílton (11/30/15 - option declined) - Miami FC (NASL)
GK Jon Busch (11/30/15 - option declined) - Indy Eleven (NASL)
F Jason Johnson (11/30/15 - option declined) - San Antonio FC (USL)
GK Alec Kann (11/30/15 - option declined) - Sporting Kansas City
D Jeff Larentowicz (11/30/15 - option declined) - LA Galaxy
D Lovel Palmer (11/30/15 - option declined) - Indy Eleven (NASL)
M Chris Ritter (11/30/15 - option declined)
D Daneil Cyrus (11/30/15 - loan expired) - W Connection (Trinidad and Tobago)
D Ty Harden (11/30/15 - out of contract)
F Mike Magee (11/30/15 - out of contract) - LA Galaxy
M Matt Watson (11/30/15 - out of contract) - Carolina RailHawks (NASL)
M Patrick Nyarko (1/6/16 - traded to D.C. United) - DC United
M Jack Harrison (1/14/16 - traded to NYCFC) - New York City FC
D Joevin Jones (1/14/16 - traded to Seattle) - Seattle Sounders

M Harry Shipp (2/13/16 - traded to Montreal) - Montreal Impact

Who's Adding Who - New England Revolution

In:

D Sambinha (1/22/16 - loan from Sporting CP) - Mamadu Samba Candé plays internationally for Guinea-Bissau and comes to the Revs by way of a loan from Portuguese Segunda Liga's Sporting Clube de Portugal B, the reserve team of Sporting Clube de Portugal. A central defender, Sambinha will turn 24 this season.
D Jordan McCrary (1/25/16 - SuperDraft) - The former University of North Carolina Tarheel rebounded from an injury that cost him the 2014 season to start all 20 games for the 15-2-3 ACC powerhouse in 2015. McCrary, touted as an MLS ready defender, had 5 assists during his senior season.
M Xavier Kouassi (2/1/16 - free)* - The 26 year old Ivorian currently plays for FC Sion in Switzerland and is slated to join the Revs midseason. However, he left a match on February 7th with an apparent ACL injury that could result in him missing the entire 2016 MLS campaign.

M Gershon Koffie (2/11/16 - trade from Vancouver) - The 24 year old Koffie was shipped from Vancouver to New England last week where he'll help fill the void left by the absence of Jermaine Jones. The former Ghanaian youth international spent the past five seasons with the Whitecaps tallying nine goals and seven assists in 133 appearances. He made 22 starts for the Caps in 2015.

*Joins in July


Out:

GK Trevor Spangenberg (11/25/15 - option declined)
D Kevin Alston (11/25/15 - option declined) - Orlando City SC
D Jeremy Hall (11/25/15 - option declined) - Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL)
M Timi Mulgrew (11/25/15 - option declined)
M Tyler Rudy (11/25/15 - option declined)
M Jermaine Jones (11/25/15 - out of contract)
M Andy Dorman (11/25/15 - out of contract)

F Sean Okoli (2/9/16 - waived)

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

USMNT vs Canada, Final Thoughts

1. Regardless of how it looked, the U.S. comes away from their January camp with a pair of victories, and as we approach the next set of World Cup Qualifiers, the confidence gained from those wins shouldn't be undervalued. Equally notable is the fact that Jozy Altidore scored in both matches, and getting him on a hot streak in 2016 would be huge given some of the other question marks surrounding the USMNT.

2. I thought Brandon Vincent looked excellent in his National Team debut at left back. It wasn't a perfect outing or anything, but he looked confident and comfortable. Canada failed to do anything of note down his side, and Vincent was effective at getting into the attack even forcing a tough save in an attempt on goal. With lots of question marks on defense, it was nice to see a newcomer really seize the opportunity given him in the January camp, and there's good reason to be excited if you're a Chicago Fire fan.

Friday, February 5, 2016

Who's Adding Who - Montreal Impact

In:

D Kyle Fisher (1/14/16 - SuperDraft) - The 2015 ACC Defensive Player of the Year helped lead Clemson to the College Cup Final against Stanford. Taken with the 14th overall pick in the 2016 SuperDraft, Fisher ends his four year career at Clemson as a First-Team All-ACC Selection, Top Drawer Soccer Postseason Best XI First Team Selection, NSCAA First Team All-American, and MAC Hermann Trophy Award Semifinalist.
M Lucas Ontivero (1/18/16 - loan from Galatasaray) - There aren't a lot of big name clubs that loan its players to MLS so the fact that Ontivero comes to Montreal on loan from Galatasaray (the Turkish giants) is a big deal. The 21 year-old Argentine winger is looked at as a dynamic attacker who can play on either side, and previously participated in youth programs for Real Madrid, AC Milan and Tottenham Hotspur before turning pro.


Out:

M Justin Mapp (11/16/15 - out of contract) - Sporting Kansas City
M Dilly Duka (11/16/15 - out of contract)
F Kenny Cooper (12/7/15 - option declined)
M Nigel Reo-Coker (1/22/16 - mutual contract termination)

Who's Adding Who - LA Galaxy

In:

GK Dan Kennedy (12/15/15 - trade from Dallas) - The 33 year-old Kennedy will be an upgrade over the declining Donovan Ricketts in net. Kennedy allowed just 19 goals in 16 starts for FC Dallas last season before getting replaced by 20 year old phenom Jesse Gonzalez down the stretch. The former Chivas USA number 1 now returns to Southern California where he spent his first seven MLS seasons.
GK Clément Diop (12/16/15 - USL) - Diop spent the 2015 season with LA Galaxy II, serving as the club's starting keeper an helping them reach the League Championship. The 22 year-old Frenchman recorded 8 shutouts and posted a 1.12 GAA during the regular season for Los Dos and allowed just one goal in four postseason matches.
D Daniel Steres (12/17/15 - USL) - Steres, an All-League selection in the USL the past three seasons, captained LA Galaxy II in 2015. The LA Galaxy II Defender of the Year the past two seasons was drafted by Chivas USA in 2012, but failed to make the club before signing with Seattle in June of that year. He has yet to appear in an MLS match.
M/D Jeff Larentowicz (1/6/16 - free agent) - The Ginja Ninja will begin his 12th MLS season as one of only 30 field players with over 300 career appearances. He ranks 17th all-time among field players with 26,139 minutes played. Now 32, Larentowicz is coming off back-to-back six goal seasons for the Chicago Fire..
F Mike Magee (1/14/16 - free agent) - Magee has struggled with injuries the past two seasons, but makes his return to LA where he won a pair of MLS Cups earlier in his career. Magee should be a clear upgrade as a reserve striker seeing as the Galaxy 
saw an aged Edson Buddle get into 12 regular season matches in 2015 in which he did not score, or earn an assist. Magee is just two years removed from a 2013 campaign when he split time between the Galaxy and Chicago Fire and combined to score 21 goals on his way to being named the league's MVP. He's a proven scorer, a clutch performer (8 postseason goals from 2009-2012) and he's shown he can handle playing in LA.
F Emmanuel Boateng (1/14/16 - free) - In 2012, Boateng joined the likes of Chris Henderson, Ned Grabavoy, Lee Nguyen, and Dillon Powers when he won the Gatorade Player of the Year Award. He spent just one year with UC Santa Barbara before heading to Europe where he played with Helsingborgs IF in Sweden. Now 22, the Ghanaian-born striker will add depth to the Galaxy's already prolific attack.
D Jelle Van Damme (1/26/16 - free) - A versatile lefty, the Belgian-born Van Damme can play left back, left midfield or central defense. Van Damme has been Capped 31 times by Belgium and his club career has taken him from Belgium to the Netherlands, England, and Germany. Most recently Van Damme was in uniform for Standard Liège (Belgium) where he was teammates with Montreal Impact defender Laurent Ciman.
D Ashley Cole (1/27/16 - free) - With nearly 400 English Premier League matches under his belt with Arsenal and Chelsea, the English international and veteran of three World Cups looks to slot in at left back for the Galaxy. Cole has 107 Caps with England and was England's Player of the Year in 2010.
D Nigel de Jong (2/3/16 - free) - The 31 year-old Dutch defensive midfielder has an impressive pedigree that includes stints with Ajax, Manchester City, and A.C. Milan, as well as 80 Caps for the Netherlands. A physical player who is perhaps best known to American fans as the guy who broke Stuart Holden's leg the first time, de Jong's ability to mesh with Steven Gerrard in central midfield will go a long way in determining how far the Galaxy can go this year.


Out:

D Todd Dunivant (10/29/15 - retired)
F Edson Buddle (12/7/15 - option declined)
D Tommy Meyer (12/7/15 - option declined) - Swope Park Rangers (USL)
GK Brian Perk (12/7/15 - option declined)
GK Donovan Ricketts (12/7/15 - option declined)
F Charlie Rugg (12/7/15 - option declined)
M Mika Vayrynen (12/7/15 - option declined)
M Kenney Walker (12/7/15 - option declined) - FC Cincinnati (USL)
GK Andrew Wolverton (12/7/15 - option declined)
D Omar Gonzalez (12/22/15 - transferred to Pachuca) - Pachuca (Mexico)
M Juninho (12/24/15 - transferred to Club Tijuana) - Club Tijuana (Mexico)

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Who's Adding Who - Houston Dynamo

In:

M Christian Lucatero (8/18/15 - Homegrown) - The 2013 Dynamo Academy Player of the Year and the Academy's 2014 Players' Player of the Year, Lucatero was committed to Oregon State before signing a professional contract with the Dynamo. Lucatero has been a part of camps for both the U.S. and Mexican U-18 squads in the past year.
M Cristian Maidana (12/7/15 - trade from Philadelphia) - In two seasons with the Union, Maidana notched 26 assists including 15 in 2015. With plenty of attacking options in Giles Barnes, Will Bruin and Cubo Torres, Maidana should have no problem reaching double digit assists for a third straight season and should help improve an attack that was limited to just 42 goals in 2015.
M Andrew Wenger (12/7/15 - trade from Philadelphia) - The first overall pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft joins his third MLS club in five seasons. His best season came in 2014, split between Montreal and Philadelphia, when he tallied 7 goals and 4 assists in 32 matches. He has 13 goals and 9 assists in 105 career appearances, 59 starts.
GK Calle Brown (12/17/15 - free) - Brown, 23, spent the 2015 season with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the USL. He made 13 starts and recorded 5 shutouts while posting a 1.14 GAA. Standing 6'5", Brown spent his college career at the University of Virginia and was the 2014 College Cup Most Valuable Defensive Player.
D Bradley Bourgeois (12/23/15 - Homegrown) - The 2011 Dynamo Academy Players' Player of the Year, Bourgeois joins the Dynamo after being a 4-year letter winner with Tulsa. The Golden Hurricanes' Defensive Player of the Year for the past three seasons, he led Tulsa to the 2014 and 2015 American Athletic Conference Tournament Championship and was the 2015 American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
D Jalil Anibaba (1/11/16 - free) - The 27 year-old Anibaba gets set to join his fourth MLS team in four years (his fifth if you count his momentary stint with Orlando City following last year's expansion draft). Anibaba, depite appearing just 16 matches in 2015, set a career-high with four assists with Sporting Kansas City. In total he has five goals and ten assists in 128 career appearances for the Chicago Fire, Seattle Sounders and Sporting.
D Sebastien Ibeagha (1/26/16 - free) - The former Duke Blue Devil is a prior member of the Dynamo Academy. After college, Ibeagha pursued a career in Europe that saw him make stops in Denmark and Iceland before returning to the U.S. this offseason. Ibeagha will add further depth to Houston's central defender pool.
D Agus (1/27/16 - free) - A left-footed central defender, Agustín Íñiguez - or Agus - spent early parts of his career with Real Madrid's "B" side and most recently played with Albacete Balompié in Spain's second division. With the exception of a season with Orduspor in Turkey, his entire pro career has been in Spain.
M David Rocha (1/27/16 - free) - Rocha captained Club Gimnàstic de Tarragona the past two seasons while helping them earn a promotion to Spain's second division. A central midfielder, the 30 year-old Rocha has spent his entire professional career to this point in Spain.


Out:

GK Michael Lisch (11/30/15 - option declined)
D AJ Cochran (11/30/15 - option declined)
D Jermaine Taylor (11/30/15 - option declined) - Portland Timbers
M Luis Garrido (11/30/15 - option declined)
M Alex López (11/30/15 - option declined)
M Nathan Sturgis (11/30/15 - option declined)
F Chandler Hoffman (11/30/15 - option declined) - Louisville City (USL)
D Kofi Sarkodie (11/30/15 - out of contract)
M Brad Davis (1/7/15 - traded to Sporting KC) - Sporting Kansas City

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Who's Adding Who - FC Dallas

In:
 
F Maximiliano Urruti (12/11/15 - Re-Entry Draft) - One of a number of Timbers postseason heroes, it was Urruti's extra time equalizer in the wildcard round that sent the Timbers to a shootout against Sporting Kansas City and propelling their postseason run. Despite just 28 career starts in MLS, the 24 year-old Urruti already has 15 goals including a career-high 10 in just 12 starts in 2014.
D Aaron Guillen (1/5/16 - Homegrown) - The 2014 Atlantic Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Year, and a three-time member of the All Conference First Team, Guillen joins FC Dallas after a solid college career where he was a four-year starter at Florida Gulf Coast University.
M Juan Esteban Ortiz (1/20/16 - free) - A defensive midfielder by trade, the 28 year-old veteran has upwards of 240 appearances in the Colombian First Division. Ortiz, whose most recent club was Atlético Huila, becomes the third Colombian player on the FC Dallas roster joining Michael Barrios and Fabián Castillo.
M Carlos Gruezo (1/23/16 - transfer from Stuttgart) - Despite being a few months shy of his 21st birthday, Gruezo already has double-digit CAPs for the Ecuadorian National Team. The first Ecuadorian to ever score in the Bundesliga when he did so in 2014 with VfB Stuttgart, Gruezo was also the second youngest player to start a match during the 2014 FIFA World Cup (behind only England's Luke Shaw).
D Maynor Figueroa (1/26/16 - trade from Colorado) - Only two players have appeared in more matches for Honduras then the 32 year-old veteran, Figueroa. A serviceable left back or central defender, Figueroa made his MLS debut with the Rapids in 2015 making 10 starts and scoring a goal against Sporting Kansas City.

Out:
 
D Bakary Soumare (11/30/15 - retired)
D Otis Earle (12/3/15 - option declined)
M Danny Garcia (12/3/15 - option declined)
F David Texeira (12/3/15 - option declined) - Sivasspor (Turkey)
M Michel (12/3/15 - option declined) - Rayo OKC (NASL)
D Walker Zimmerman (12/3/15 - option declined)
F Blas Pérez (12/3/15 - out of contract)
D Stephen Keel (12/3/15 - out of contract)
GK Dan Kennedy (12/15/15 - traded to LA Galaxy) - LA Galaxy
M Rolando Escobar (1/22/16 - waived) -
M Ezequiel Cirigliano (1/22/16 - waived) - River Plate (Argentina)

Who's Adding Who - DC United

In:

M Lamar Neagle (12/7/15 - trade from Seattle) - Neagle delivered a career year in 2014 with 9 goals and 9 assists en route to a Seattle Sounders Supporters' Shield and U.S. Open Cup Title, but he struggled to have the same impact in 2015. Despite making 23 starts, Neagle had just four goals and two assists last season. Now 28, Neagle joins a DC United attack that tied for the second fewest goals in the Eastern Conference last year.
M Patrick Nyarko (1/6/16 - trade from Chicago) - Nyarko spent his first 8 MLS seasons with the Chicago Fire logging 196 appearances. During a three-year stretch from 2010-2012, he averaged nearly nine assists a year with a career best of 10 in 2010. Nyarko made his international debut with Ghana in 2012.
M Marcelo Sarvas (2/1/16 - trade from Colorado) - A two-time MLS Champion with the LA Galaxy, Sarvas delivered two goals and two assists during the 2014 postseason after an 11-assist regular season. Sarvas joined the Rapids before the 2015 season and was unable to duplicate the success he found in LA scoring just twice and adding only one assist in 25 appearances. The 34 Brazilian has played professionally in Brazil, Sweden, Poland and Costa Rica before coming to MLS before the 2012 season.


Out:
 
F Eddie Johnson (11/1/15 - retired)
F Jairo Arrieta (12/7/15 - option declined) - New York Cosmos (NASL)
M Michael Farfan (12/7/15 - option declined) - Seattle Sounders
M Facundo Coria (12/7/15 - waived)
M Perry Kitchen (12/7/15 - out of conract)
M Chris Pontius (12/7/15 - traded to Philadelphia) - Philadelphia Union

Who's Adding Who - Colorado Rapids - Update 1

Latest moves in red.

In:


M Micheal Azira (12/9/15 - Waiver Draft) - The Ugandan-born Azira spent the last two seasons with the Seattle Sounders appearing in 25 regular season matches including 11 in 2015. Now 28, Azira has yet to notch a goal or an assist in MLS.
M Marco Pappa (12/15/15 - trade from Seattle) - The veteran Guatemalan midfielder is entering his eighth MLS season, the last two of which were spent with the Sounders. Pappa has scored at least five goals five times, and recorded as least five assists four times including a career-best six in 2015. Pappa has scored 11 goals for Guatemala an was named the Golden Ball Winner at the 2014 Copa Centroamericana as the tournament's best player.
M Zach Pfeffer (1/15/16 - trade from Philadelphia) - Pfeffer is getting ready for his sixth MLS season despite just turning 21 earlier this month. Signed to a homegrown player deal at the age of 15 with the Union, Pfeffer had his best MLS season in 2015 appearing in 21 matches while also getting playing time for the USMNT U-23s.
F Shkëlzen Gashi (2/1/16 - transfer from Basel) - The 27 year old Albanian striker joins the Rapids from FC Basel on a designated player contract after spending the past 10 seasons in Switzerland. The Swiss Super League Golden Boot Winner for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 campaigns combined to score 41 regular season goals in that two-year stretch.


Out:

D James Riley (12/3/15 - option declined)
D Drew Moor (12/3/15 - option declined) - Toronto FC
M Nick LaBrocca (12/3/15 - option declined) - Chicago Fire
M Lucas Pittinari (12/3/15 - option declined) - Belgrano (Argentina)
M Vicente Sánchez (12/3/15 - option declined)
M Carlos Alvarez (12/3/15 - option declined)
F Charles Eloundou (12/3/15 - option declined)
F Gabriel Torres (12/3/15 - option declined) - Zamora FC (Venezuela)
D Bobby Burling (12/3/15 - out of contract)
D Michael Harrington (12/3/15 - out of contract) - Chicago Fire
GK Clint Irwin (1/18/16 - traded to Toronto) - Toronto FC
D Maynor Figueroa (1/26/16 - traded to Dallas) - FC Dallas
M Juan Ramirez (1/26/16 - loaned to Almeria) - UD Almería (Spain)
M - Marcelo Sarvas (2/1/16 - traded to D.C. United - DC United

Who's Adding Who - Chicago Fire - Update 1

Latest moves in red.

In:

F Joey Calistri (12/17/15 - Homegrown) - Calistri was a four-year starter for Northwestern and finished his career as the Wildcats' second all-time leading scorer. In total, Calistri ended up with 30 goals and 14 assists including three goals and a career high six assists as a senior.
M Drew Conner (12/17/15 - Homegrown) - Conner was a four-year starter for the University of Wisconsin and served as the team's captain in 2015. In his four years with the Badgers, he amassed 73 starts scoring six goals while tallying 12 assists.
D Brandon Vincent (1/14/16 - SuperDraft) - One of Jurgen Klinsmann's surprise additions to the January USMNT camp, Vincent enjoyed a stellar senior season for National Champion Stanford that included being named the 2015 College Cup's Most Outstanding Defensive Player. Vincent scored six goals and added two assists in 23 matches for the 18-2-3 Cardinal.
D Jonathan Campbell (1/14/16 - SuperDraft) - A Senior defender from the University of North Carolina, Campbell had a goal and four assists for the 15-2-3 Tarheels who reached the third round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament before falling 1-0 to Creighton.
D Michael Harrington (1/18/16 - free agency) - The third overall pick in the 2007 SuperDraft, Harrington needs just 4 more starts to reach 200 as he enters his 10th MLS season. Harrington has played with Kansas City, Portland and most recently Colorado for whom he started 14 matches in 2015. Harrington finished third in the 2007 Rookie of the Year voting.
GK Patrick McLain (1/18/16 - free) - McLain was with Chivas USA in 2012 and 2013 and made a pair of MLS appearances for the Goats. He spent the 2015 season with the Sacramento Republic (USL) going 11-8-5 with six shutouts and a 1.25 goals against average.
D João Meira (1/23/16 - free) - Meira is a 28 year-old Portuguese central defender who played most recently for Belenenses, who he helped return to the Portuguese top flight.
M Nick LaBrocca (1/27/16 - free agency) - The 31 year-old LaBrocca gets ready for his 10th MLS season after previous stints with Colorado, Toronto and Chivas USA. An All-Star with Chivas USA in 2011 when he scored a career high eight goals and six assists, LaBrocca made just six starts in 2015 with the Colorado Rapids.
D Johan Kappelhof (2/2/16 - transfer from Groningen) - The 25 year-old former Ajax youth academy member comes to the Fire after spending the past five seasons with Groningen, currently in 10th place in the Dutch Eredivisie. Kappelhof appeared in a handful of matches for the Netherlands U21s between 2011 and 2013.

Out:
D Adaílton (11/30/15 - option declined)
GK Jon Busch (11/30/15 - option declined) - Indy Eleven (NASL)
F Jason Johnson (11/30/15 - option declined)
GK Alec Kann (11/30/15 - option declined) - Sporting Kansas City
D Jeff Larentowicz (11/30/15 - option declined) - LA Galaxy
D Lovel Palmer (11/30/15 - option declined) - Indy Eleven (NASL)
M Chris Ritter (11/30/15 - option declined)
D Daneil Cyrus (11/30/15 - loan expired) - W Connection (Trinidad and Tobago)
D Ty Harden (11/30/15 - out of contract)
F Mike Magee (11/30/15 - out of contract) - LA Galaxy
M Matt Watson (11/30/15 - out of contract) - Carolina RailHawks (NASL)
M Patrick Nyarko (1/6/16 - traded to D.C. United) - DC United
M Jack Harrison (1/14/16 - traded to NYCFC) - New York City FC
D Joevin Jones (1/14/16 - traded to Seattle) - Seattle Sounders

USA vs Iceland Thoughts

1. First and foremost, it was good to see the U.S. start 2016 with a win. After what can only be classified as a disappointing finish to 2015, it's important for the U.S. to turn the page and start fresh. The 3-2 win, during which we twice came from behind, was far from perfect, but a win just the same.
 
2. The U.S. certainly outplayed their European opponents dominating in virtually every statistical category (Corners 8-2, Shots 16-6, Possession 62-38), but despite not having the bulk of the chances, Iceland was still very dangerous. If not for some poor finishing, Iceland could have easily walked away with a 5-3 win. I'd like to point fingers at the defense for sloppy play, but I'll temper that noting that the defense also scored the tying and winning goals. Still, the first Iceland goal - while a result of a lucky deflection - was also a result of ball-watching. And the second goal came as a result of a heady play by Iceland in generating a quick re-start, but also showed a lack of communication and organization along the U.S. backline (it also involved a brilliant finish by Aron Sigurdson). Granted, this was a group that hasn't played together before and it's the January camp when not everyone's at their fittest, but I still didn't think it was great performance from a defensive standpoint.