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NYCFC add defender Watson-Siriboe from Real Salt Lake

Kwame Watson-Siriboe

By RYAN TOLMICH

Tasked with building a roster from scratch heading into the team’s debut in 2015, New York City FC head coach Jason Kreis went back to his roots to add the team’s sixth player.

NYCFC announced Monday that they have acquired defender Kwame Watson-Siriboe from Real Salt Lake in exchange for a natural fourth round selection in the 2016 MLS Draft. The 27-year-old centerback is a familiar face for Kreis, as the latter managed the club’s new acquisition for two years as the head coach of RSL.

“I am really happy to be able to continue my work with Kwame from my time at Real Salt Lake,” Kreis said in a statement. “He is a player that was great to coach and I’m confident he will be able to contribute to the strength and shape of our back line as we continue to build towards our first game in March 2015.

“Kwame is the type of imposing central defender that is difficult to play against, adding him to the squad at this early point in our roster building process is fantastic.”

“I already know what he expects from his defenders and I am confident that I will be able to contribute effectively from the moment I begin training in January,” Watson-Siriboe added. “I feel strong, fit and am excited to start working hard for my new club and for the NYCFC supporters.”

Watson-Siriboe now joins forward David Villa, midfielders Frank Lampard and Andrew Jacobson, defender Jeb Brovsky and goalkeeper Josh Saunders on the NYCFC roster.

Prior to joining NYCFC, Watson-Siriboe featured for the Chicago Fire and RSL, for whom he made 19 appearances over two years before suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in June 2013.

What do you think of NYCFC’s latest acquisition? How has the team done with their roster moves thus far?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I think this is really positive news simply because it shows Kreis was able to recommend and acquire a player of his choosing for the roster. A story about NYCFC with no marketing angle is refreshing and a good statement that ownership has not forgotten that there is set date in the not-so-distant future when 11 players will need to take the field and play a competitive match under Kreis’s supervision. It’s not sarcasm. Beckham’s team drifting furher away from this sort of moment with every passing day.

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  2. Kwame is a sick player… He has been hindered by injuries but will for sure be in the starting lineup. I played club soccer with him at U-10 to u-18 and he is a BEAST!!! He’s going to dominate the top forwards in the league for sure. Dempsey, Henry, Keane will do nothing against these guys now!

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  3. KWS is a good player. He is still getting back to form after an ACL injury last year. However, as an RSL fan, he has a nice upside. He is very athletic, has good size and is an aerial threat.

    RSL just signed an Argentine Forward and had to make a move. So it is not like RSL was just giving up on this kid as much as their hand was forced by roster limitation. With KWS still recovering, RSL had 4 other healthy CBs in front of him. He was the likely odd man out.

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  4. 4th round pick= less than worthless.

    Basically gave up nothing for an american player who will not make more than average, that Kreis is familiar with, no down side.

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  5. I don’t, maybe some of this lesser known, lesser talented player will be pulled up by the Villas and the Lampard or maybe they will stick out like sore thumbs. Time will tell. PS: Please get a stadium already.

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    • Teams can only have 8 players who aren’t a US citizen or permanent resident. NYCFC will have fill a roster with 26-30 guys, so they need 18-22 guys who are Ameicans/green card holders.

      Over time, I expect NYCFC will invest a lot in their academy, and I also think they will work hard to help foreign players they have get green cards. But at least at first, they are going to have to acquire a lot of American journeymen just to fill out a roster.

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