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Argentine playmaker Marcelo Gallardo has left Major League Soccer for good.
D.C. United has released Gallardo from his contract, freeing him to sign in South America with River Plate and giving D.C. back its Designated Player slot and the $400,000 salary cap slot and $1.9 million in salary that go with it.
"It's disappointing," D.C. United general manager Dave Kasper told the Washington Post. "We were looking for him to come back and be healthy and spend a year here, but at the end of the day, he didn't settle in the way we thought and he made a final decision on his side that he wanted to finish playing with presumably River Plate."
Gallardo was a skillful and stylish player who struggled with injuries, which was the big fear when he first signed with MLS. The 33-year old played in 15 matches for D.C., scoring four goals and adding three assists during his one season in MLS.
Now that Gallardo is gone, who do you see D.C. United bringing in? Will D.C. bring back Colorado outcast Christian Gomez? Is there another big-ticket signing in United's future? Or has the club learned its lesson about Designated Player signings? Would you call Gallardo a flop or a good player who got unlucky with injuries?
Share your thoughts on Gallardo's departure below.