Article by Matt Lichtenstadter
Like England’s transfer window, MLS’ is now shut and it’s only August 9th. Teams are still allowed to sign free agents and promote players from within from USL, but the large majority oftransfer moves are now done. Most of the big ones have already been talked about, such as Wayne Rooney to DC United, but other clubs made some interesting moves that will define their seasons. Here are a few, and how it may shape the rest of this season to the playoffs:
LAFC adds more forward firepower: Christian Ramirez’s trade to LAFC has many different layers to it, the least of which being LAFC adding another powerful forward who can score goals for fun to add to a team that didn’t exactly need more. With Marco Urena, Adama Diomande and now Ramirez, LAFC may have the best group of forwards in the league. But the intrigue for this trade isn’t so much with LAFC, it’s with the Loons, who signed a new DP striker to ostensibly replace Ramirez, who was a fan favorite and consistent goal scorer dating back to the club’s NASL days. It is a huge risk for a Loons team that has its problems, hasn’t ever really addressed any of them, and then traded away one of their best scorers as if that was a major problem. Their loss is LAFC’s gain, and a gain that could propel the expansion club to the top of the West.
Justin Meram goes home: Justin Meram’s tenure in Orlando was nothing short of a disaster, so not six months after he was traded to Orlando, Meram is now back in Columbus, with the Crew about 300K in GAM up for their trouble. The Crew have never had any issues scoring goals, and Meram was such a huge part of Gregg Berhalter’s successful teams in the last few years. If he can find some of his old form again, Columbus become even more of a threat in the loaded East.
Portland brings back a 2015 winner: In Jorge Villafana, the Timbers get back a solid, USMNT left back who won MLS Cup with them in 2015 and makes a solid defensive team even stronger. The price to get him wasn’t that big, and with their maneuvering through the window, the Timbers who are 15 unbeaten at this point are somehow even better. The West is very muddled at this stage but putting your bet on the Timbers to be the best in the conference when all is said and done wouldn’t be a bad one at all.
Did Sporting KC get their center forward? Peter Vermes certainly hopes, and it too comes in the form of old friend Krisztian Nemeth, who scored bags of goals for SKC a few years ago. The final piece to their puzzle has always been a center forward (and staying healthy, particularly at the back), so if Nemeth can find some of his old form, Sporting Kansas City becomes a dynamic player in a wide-open West as well. Signing Spanish center back Andreu Fontas also seems to be a decent bit of business.
Other playoff contenders make moves: Playoff contenders in both conferences made moves for defenders to try to sure up their spots in the chase for those final few spots on either side of the continent. Montreal Impact signed Bacary Sagna (yep, him) to add a little veteran nous to their backline which has been shaky at times this season. New England signed English center back Michael Mancienne to help their defensive woes as they try to pull their way back to the postseason. Seattle Sounders also looked to England for a signing, and they brought in Australian fullback Brad Smith on loan from Bournemouth to add a little youth and depth on the flanks.
Some don’t do anything: RSL, Chicago Fire and the Philadelphia Union all stayed remarkably quiet during the summer window, outside of a few minor moves for the Fire that won’t change their fortunes after being dumped out of the Open Cup by the aforementioned Union, whose biggest summer move was signing a new sporting director. Arguably, the biggest summer transfer moves for teams currently below the red line in both conferences is Toronto FC getting healthy at the right time and starting to pick up in form.
MLS’ transfer stories have largely been written for the 2018 season. What you see now is what you’ll see in the race for the playoffs and the Supporters Shield. Some teams positioned themselves fairly well, others didn’t. Most of the defining moves were made earlier in the summer, but it could be these signings that end up playing the biggest role in deciding the destination of MLS’ trophies in 2018.
