The LA Galaxy midfield has endured an offseason makeover, with the departure of Jonathan Dos Santos and Sebastian Lletget, and are reportedly poised to add a quality MLS veteran replacement to help fill the void.
The Galaxy are set to trade for midfielder Marky Delgado, in a trade with Toronto FC that will net TFC $400,000 in allocation money, with incentives in place that could increase that total to $500,000, according to a report by The Canadian Press.
Originally a member of Chivas USA, Delgado spent seven seasons with Toronto FC, playing 225 matches and playing part in TFC’s trophy-winning seasons. Delgado will now be reunited with LA Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney, who coached Delgado in Toronto.
Here is a rundown of other key MLS news items from Wednesday:
Inter Miami signs Colombian winger Rodriguez
Inter Miami’s rebuild ahead of the 2022 MLS season continued Wednesday with the signing of a dynamic Colombian winger.
Emerson Rodriguez joined the Eastern Conference club on a four-year deal as part of the league’s U-22 initiative. Rodriguez, a Colombian international, joins MLS from Millonarios FC in Colombia’s first division.
“Emerson is an exciting, dynamic young talent that we are excited to welcome to Inter Miami,” chief soccer officer and sporting director Chris Henderson said. “His quality reinforces our team’s attack to help us achieve our goals this upcoming season.”
Rodriguez made 63 combined appearances across all competitions for Millonarios, including the Copa Sudamericana, registering eight goals and eight assists. He also spent time with second tier side Valledupar FC in 2019, totaling eight appearances for the club.
Inter Miami is continuing to prepare its roster for a push at the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2022.
Rapids sign Bryan Acosta
The Colorado Rapids had a busy Wednesday on all fronts and Robin Fraser will have a new midfielder to call on this season.
Bryan Acosta joined the club as a free agent signing, agreeing to a two-year deal with the Western Conference club. Acosta was selected by the Rapids in the 2021 MLS Re-Entry Draft earlier this winter and now embarks to Colorado as the latest stop in his career.
The 28-year-old previously spent three seasons with FC Dallas, totaling 60 appearances and recording two goals and five assists in the regular season play.
Prior to signing with Dallas as a Designated Player in 2019, Acosta spent two years in the Spanish second division with Tenerife where he recorded 51 appearances, six goals and six assists across all competitions.
Acosta has earned 56 caps with the Honduras national team, scoring two goals and registering one assist.
Kaye, Rosenberry, headline Rapids quartet to sign new contracts
The Colorado Rapids rewarded four senior players with new contracts on Wednesday, retaining them for the next few MLS seasons.
Mark-Anthony Kaye, Keegan Rosenberry, Jack Price and Danny Wilson all signed new deals on Wednesday, locking up their immediate futures in Robin Fraser’s squad. Kaye signed a four-year contract through 2025 while Rosenberry’s new deal runs through 2024 and Price and Wilson’s run through 2023.
Kaye was acquired by Colorado midway through the 2021 season and went on to start 14 of his 15 appearances with the club. His lone goal came in a 2-1 Rocky Mountain Cup victory over Real Salt Lake while Kaye also registered two assists.
Rosenberry joined the Rapids ahead of the 2019 season and has since gone on to make 81 regular season appearances for the club, registering four goals and eight assists. The 28-year-old has been a stalwart in the Rapids back line, recently helping Colorado to a strong 2021 campaign.
Wilson originally joined the Rapids ahead of the 2018 season from Scottish side Rangers. The 30-year-old center back has made 81 regular season appearances for the Rapids, scoring four goals and adding four assists during his four seasons with the club. In 2021, Wilson anchored a backline that conceded the second-fewest goals in the West as the Rapids finished the season atop the conference for the first time in club history.
Price was signed by the Rapids ahead of the 2018 MLS season from England’s Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Englishman has recorded a league-leading 22 assists off of set pieces since 2019, and his 12 overall assists last season led the Rapids and were tied for fourth-most in MLS.
The Rapids suffered elimination in the second round of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Sporting KC signs German defender Voloder
Sporting Kansas City bolstered its defensive corps once again this offseason, signing 20-year-old Robert Voloder from NK Maribor.
Voloder, a German youth national team player, signed a three-year contract with SKC, which includes an option for 2025. He will occupy an international roster spot on SKC’s roster.
Voloder, a left-footed centerback, has played every minute for Slovenian side NK Maribor since the 2021-22 PrvaLiga season began in July, guiding the team to the top of the table through 20 matches. He also appeared in the qualifying stages of the inaugural 2021-22 UEFA Europa Conference League last summer.
Voloder switched his national team allegiance to Germany in September 2019, debuting for the country’s under-19 team in a friendly against England. He’s also made five appearances for Germany’s u-20 national team, captaining his country in 2021.
Sporting KC was eliminated in the second round of the MLS Cup Playoffs last season.
Charlotte FC adds Cristian Ortiz on loan from Xolos
Charlotte FC made its biggest acquisition yet this offseason, acquiring attacking midfielder Cristian Ortiz on loan for 2022.
Ortiz joins from Liga MX side Club Tijuana, being reunited with former manager Miguel Angel Ramirez in Charlotte. The 29-year-old will occupy an international roster spot and could be purchased permanently at the conclusion of his loan.
Ortiz played under Ramirez at Independiente del Valle, scoring nine goals and registering six assists in 30 appearances. He eventually earned himself a move to Club Tijuana and has since made 17 appearances for the Mexican club.
The Argentina native is the latest acquisition by Charlotte FC ahead of the club’s start to life in MLS.
Quick Kicks
- The Los Angeles Galaxy re-signed midfielder Victor Vazquez for the 2022 MLS season, which includes an option for 2023. Vazquez, 34, tallied three goals and six assists in 28 games played for the Galaxy in 2021. In three MLS regular seasons, Vazquez has tallied 19 goals and 31 assists in 80 games played (68 starts).
- The Seattle Sounders re-signed veteran goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland on Wednesday, inking him to a two-year contract. Cleveland, 27, registered three shutouts in 15 regular season appearances for Seattle last season.
- Inter Miami announced Wednesday it has re-signs veteran defender/midfielder Brek Shea through the 2022 MLS season. Shea totaled 43 appearances in his first two seasons with the club, scoring six goals and registering two assists.
- FC Cincinnati announced it has re-signed Haris Medunjanin through 2022, with a club option in 2023. The veteran midfielder has notched four goals and three assists in his 50 appearances with FCC, and was seen training with club prior to signing the contract.
- Brian Schmetzer will have a new face in his coaching staff as the Seattle Sounders signed Andy Rose as an assistant coach on Wednesday. Rose totaled over 250 appearances in his 10-year professional career which saw stops in both the United States, England, and Scotland.
- Real Salt Lake retained defender Tate Schmitt for the 2022 MLS season, which includes a club option for 2023. Schmitt joined the Western Conference club ahead of the 2019 campaign and has made 10 starts in MLS play.
- New York City FC has signed forward Jonathan Jimenez and defenders Nicholas Benalcazar and Samuel Owusu to Homegrown contracts. Benalcazar (Wake Forest) and Jimenez (North Carolina) both previously featured collegiately in the ACC. Owusu joined NYCFC in 2016 and is a native of Ghana.