Top Stories

Rapids acquire Moor from FC Dallas for Ihemelu

Drew Moor (ISIphotos.com) 

                                                       Photo by ISIphotos.com

The Colorado Rapids acquired defender Drew Moor from FC Dallas, along with a 2010 second-round pick and allocation money, for defender Ugo Ihemelu. The teams announced the deal on Monday.

Ihemelu is reunited with his former college coach, FC Dallas' Schellas Hyndman, while Moor gives Colorado a more offensive-minded fullback option.

Moor, who sources tell SBI had been shopped by FC Dallas for months, has started 21 games for FC Dallas this season, scoring three goals, while Ihemelu has started 19 games for Colorado, managing two assists.

What's the SBI take? Ihemelu is a tougher defender who could be a rock in central defense for FCD (although Hyndman stated that he sees Ihemelu as his right back), but Moor is the better attacking option going forward from the right back position. Moor should help give the Rapids more of a threat on the right flank and someone who can provide better service on the counter to Conor Casey, but he might also make the Rapids defense a bit more vulnerable.

Ultimately, Ihemelu is the better defender, but if the Rapids think Julian Baudet is legitimate as an option alongside Cory Gibbs, then the deal makes sense. That said, it's still a steep price to pay for Ihemelu (though sources tell SBI that Dallas had been shopping Moor for some time). The edge goes to the Rapids on this deal.

What do you think of this deal? Who do you think made out in the trade?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Now let’s hope that Smith puts Gibbs on the bench in favor of Palguta. Pags has been the rock of the Colorado defense all year and has proven his worth game in and game out. PS – thanks to Osario for passing on him. Twice!

    Reply
  2. If I had to guess I’m thinking we will hear a Heath Pierce signing shortly. Makes sense to get rid of a left sided back if you are planning to bring in Pierce.

    Ihemula isn’t an upgrade, just a different need. Probably cheaper against the cap than Moor as well.

    Reply
  3. I support neither team, however Moor is not good. Ihemulu is okay. Neither will make a big impact, however Ihemulu’s ability to play in center may help considering Davies will be gone for the better part of a month. When I finish coaching college, can I retire in MLS as well?

    Reply
  4. Here we go again…

    Do the fans really deserve the mockery that has become FC Dallas? The Hunts need to act NOW and fire Hyndman and F0 that are responsible for destroying this team.

    Reply
  5. I’m with Jason on this one. Gibbs and Ihemelu play 80 minutes of good defense each night. I remember in the Rapids home opener versus KC, Gibbs whiffed on a ball (lost it in the lights?) and caused a goal. Ihemelu has committed some boneheaded and costly yellow cards.

    I hope Julien’s experience can lead to 90 good minutes. If so Moor can push up. If not, these blunders will cost us the playoffs.

    All in all, the deal sounds like a great one for the Rapids…Ihemelu is a good but not great player, but the terms were pretty steep for him.

    Reply
  6. These same SMU guys always underperformed as college players because they just weren’t/ aren’t that good and SH is largely responsible. He had his pick of players in Texas and yet never won a national title in 20-25 years of trying. He recuited Hunt which is his only reason for having this job. Dallas was a three year PO team when he took over and now they are in a tight battle with SJ & NY for the team that sucks the worst in league.

    Reply
  7. Ha! Now that we’ve gotten rid of Osorio and are riding a two-game winning streak it feels really nice to laugh at the stupidity of others. Would Dallas also like Jorge Rojas? You could give us Brek Shea, a third round draft pick, and $150,000 in unmarked, non-sequential bills. If you want, we’d throw in Krupnik for free.

    Seriously though, the only reason you’d want to get rid of Drew Moor is because he’s shopping around for a move to Europe. As far as right backs go, I’d rank him in the top 5. Ihemelu? He’d be lucky to make the top 25. AND, they take up pretty much the same space under the salary cap ($140,000).

    Reply
  8. Hyndman shows once again why he is totally out of his depth.

    Way to trade a US MNT pool player (Moor)for an older, less talented player (Ihemelu).

    The fact that Colorado got cash and a pick from this deal is just laughable, but in a not at all funny kind of way.

    Hyndman is embarrasing himself, and picming up another SMU player just goes to show it. He totally overpaid.

    And to think they gave up a team lead by Clarke that had been MLS Supporter’s Shield and USOC runners up, for this loser.

    Reply
  9. Hyndman getting another one of “his guys” former of SMU. When can we start calling them the Dallas Mustangs?

    Posted by: dan

    Just please don’t bring back the fire-breathing horse logo . . . burrrrrn.

    Reply
  10. T,

    “FCD will be the laughingstock of the league for years to come as long as we have this college coach.”

    What’s that make my team, NYRB? We have 2 LESS wins on the year! LOL!

    Reply
  11. Ihemelu is not worth Drew moore, a second round pick, and allocation. In fact, I would not even trade him for Ihemelu. I can play as a central defender and at right back. Plus, he’s a way better crosser of the ball.

    Reply
  12. wow, ESPN has had two audio tracks going on the Barca game, combined with the graphics being in spanish = great quality control

    Reply
  13. As a Rapids fan I have to disagree with Richard Terry. Defense is clearly the issue with the team. We’re tied for first in goals scored and 7th in goals allowed and we’re only 6th overall in the league. That tells me while we’re scoring enough to be at the top of the table untimely goals (Chicago last week, both Seattle games, LA at home, etc.) are costing us points.

    One of the biggest issues this year has been mental lapses, mainly from Ihemelu and Gibbs. They seem to be good for one boneheaded play a game, each. We could handle that when only one of them was out there, or even if Gibbs was in the middle and Ihemelu was on the right but I was always worried when our center back tandem was Ihemelu and Gibbs. Palguta was much more stable.

    With this move we get rid of an iffy player for what sounds like an equally iffy player, but we also get a draft pick and allocation money. Great move by the Rapids.

    Reply
  14. Considering the details of the trade why is the headline not “FC Dallas acquires Ihemelu”? He appears to be the sought after player in the deal.

    Reply
  15. As a rapids supporter, I am sad to see Ugo Ihemelu go…but Drew Moor is a decent defender. Our backline has been SOLID this year with Ihemelu, Cory Gibbs, Julian Baudet, and Scott Palguta. Kosuke Kimura and Jordan Harvey have also been pretty consistent this year. Overall, I hope Moor can make an impact and I question the trade coming when Colorado doesn’t really have too many defensive problems barring the meltdown in Chicago last week and the lopsided loss to Seattle in late June at Qwest. Offense was halted against Houston yesterday, but Baudet made a great play! GO RAPIDS!!!!!!

    Reply
  16. OFF TOPIC:

    anyone else notice the I_Soccer Ad has this logo

    “Train Smarter. Know Your STRENGTHS. Attack You Weaknesses. Raise Your Level”

    Attack You Weaknesses?? not the best ad in the world 😀

    Reply
  17. This is a bit of a shocker. But that is par for FCD making moves that may not work out in their favor. Hopefully Ihemelu can do better than the other SMU player we have. Guarda has been such a bust but so has Hyndman so not much suprise there.

    Reply
  18. What did Moor do to get that “get out of jail” card? I bet he’s already flying over Frisco thinking, “Thank God!”.

    Reply
  19. He’s not that bad of a right back option. He was missing a couple disciplinary techniques but was pretty solid. He didn’t do great against Mexico but it could have been a lot worse, considering he assisted the all-important second goal.

    Reply
  20. Moor definitely has his poor moments as a defender, but I don’t see Ihemelu as any sort of upgrade. I think they both have poor habits, the only real difference being Ihemelu has speed to help him, where as Moor has better aerial abilities. The money and pick however make this trade very one-sided. Hyndman is continuing to show he overvalues anyone he has coached in college. Next up, Luchi Gonzalez for DP!

    Reply
  21. I can only recall one thing about drew moor is watching him get burnt time and time again in the US vs. Mexico Friendly in Houston a year or 2 ago.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Dman Cancel reply