Photo by Russell Isabella/USA Today Sports
By DAN KARELL
Real Salt Lake will be without one of its key starters for the beginning of the 2015 MLS season.
RSL forward Joao Plata fractured the fifth metatarsal in his left foot during training on Sunday, the club announced on Monday. He is expected to miss three to four months with the injury. The diminutive Ecuadorian suffered the injury without contact while changing directions on artificial turf.
The news comes just as Real Salt Lake signed Plata, 22, to a multiyear contract that has made him a Young Designated Player. Plata is coming off a breakout 2014 campaign in which he scored 13 goals and added six assists for the club.
Losing Plata is a big blow to an RSL team going through a big transition, having already lost mainstays Chris Wingert, Ned Grabavoy, and Nat Borchers earlier this offseason.
Here are some more stories from around MLS:
ORLANDO CITY CLINCHES SIGNINGS OF PATERSON, RIVAS, HIGUITA
Orlando City’s long-rumored signing of Martin Paterson is official.
The expansion club confirmed the signing of Paterson on loan from English Championship side Huddersfield Town on Monday morning. The 27-year-old winger is a member of the Northern Irish national team and has also played for Burnley, where current Orlando City head coach Adrian Heath once played and coached.
“Martin is an experienced striker who will be a valuable asset for the team and our younger players in particular,” Heath said in a statement. “We’re very pleased to have him with the club for our first season in MLS.”
Paterson is the latest international signing for the club, which has added a number of foreign signings this offseason. Paterson only made six appearances between Huddersfield Town and League One’s Fleetwood Town last fall.
Additionally, Orlando City announced the signing of 20-year-old Colombian midfielder Carlos Rivas and 21-year-old Colombian midfielder Cristian Higuita, both of whom were most recently with Deportivo Cali.
MORE THAN 17,000 SEASON TICKETS RESERVED FOR ATLANTA MLS FRANCHISE
Atlanta’s MLS franchise is still at least two years away from playing its first game, but fans have already stepped up their support of the yet-to-be-named club.
The club has reached 17,500 seats reserved by more than 6,000 members of the “Founders Club.” The club said in a statement to the Atlanta Journal Constitution that it expects memberships and seat reservations to continue to grow ahead of its inaugural season in 2017.
Both Orlando City and New York City FC, this year’s two new expansion franchises, have more than 10,000 season tickets reserved. The Seattle Sounders hold the record of 22,000 tickets reserved before their first match in March 2009.
TFC OPENS TRAINING CAMP WITHOUT DESIGNATED PLAYER GILBERTO
It seemed it was only a matter of when, not if, Toronto FC forward Gilberto would be departing the club.
The Toronto Sun reported on Sunday that TFC opened up its 2015 MLS preseason with Gilberto remaining in Brazil while the club works out his future. The 25-year-old signed last year as Toronto’s first Designated Player of the season, but struggled with injuries and inconsistency as he scored a modest seven goals and notched five assists in 21 starts.
With Sebastian Giovinco joining in July and both Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore signed as Designated Players, TFC has to shed at least one Designated Player contract before officially adding Giovinco to the roster. The report states that Gilberto has multiple overseas offers.
CREW ASSIGN NUMBERS, RELEASE PRESEASON ROSTER
The Columbus Crew roster is basically set heading into the 2015 MLS preseason.
The Crew revealed the roster taking part in their first training camp in Lakewood Ranch, Fla., including 25 of the 26 signed players and four of their draft picks training on a trial basis. The only member of the Crew not in practice is Wil Trapp, who is with the U.S. Men’s National Team.
Jamaican center back Sergio Campbell, the Crew’s first-round draft pick, Israeli forward Sagi Lev-Ari, goalkeeper Tomas Gomez, and defender Kalen Ryden are all battling for one of the two remaining Crew roster spots.
Meanwhile, numbers have been given to the newly-signed players. Kristin Steindorsson has taken No. 7, Mohammed Saeid has chosen No. 8, Kei Kamara has selected No. 23, and Hernan Grana has opted for No. 27.
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What do you think of these reports? How big of a loss is Plata to RSL’s squad? Do you see Paterson, Rivas, and Higuita playing big roles for Orlando City this season? What do you think of Atlanta fans support of a future MLS franchise?
Share your thoughts below.