Article by Matt Lichtenstadter
While the end of MLS’ summer transfer window is nowhere near as bonkers as it could be in Europe, many clubs did make some intriguing moves for the future. And one club was incredibly active despite its playoff fortunes for 2017 being pretty much toast. What should everyone make of these moves, and what does it say about the playoff races this year, and the league heading into next season?
DC United grabbed the headlines with their late spending spree, signing Hungarian international Zoltan Steiber, promising US midfielder Russell Canouse from Hoffenheim, and their big splash, spending a total of $3 million in different forms to sign Paul Arriola from Xolos. DC United is not a team that normally spends any sort of significant money in the transfer window, so to spend it on these three players is very intriguing. Their playoff hopes for 2017 are gone, but this sets up Ben Olsen and company nicely for the opening of their new stadium, Audi Field, next March. DCU has also struggled to spend wisely in the foreign market aside from a few signings here and there in the past, so these big money signings, even on somewhat known commodities are risks.
But it is encouraging that the club is spending for once now that the new stadium has opened revenue streams that this club has desperately needed. Whether Ben Olsen is the manager to take them to the next level is an open question, but the most active club this summer in MLS is making a bold statement, at least for 2018. As for the fortunes of Arriola and to a lesser extent Canouse, coming to MLS at this stage in their career is a fascinating move, and DC has taken chances on these types of players before with varying success. Arriola’s recent stock has dramatically risen with the national team at Bruce Arena, so if DC can get that kind of player, they may be in business.
LAFC made their expected big splash by signing Carlos Vela, which in hindsight seemed fairly obvious with all of the other big name Mexican national team stars off the market. To get off to a flying start next year, LAFC has signed a big name manager and a name that will attract eyeballs in the very crowded LA sports scene, and if the club gets a motivated Vela, they may be getting one of the best forwards in CONCACAF straightaway. There has naturally been controversy about the move, but Chicharito has supported Vela publicly, and he’s received a boon from the two Dos Santos brothers, who have successfully moved to MLS already.
While Vela is no guarantee to succeed, he has every chance to if he’s motivated by the new challenge, and seeing how his spot for World Cup 2018 isn’t quite certain, he really should be. For LAFC, the question is how do they build a successful team around him and the two other DP’s they’ll inevitably recruit. The club is off to a promising start, but there is more work to do.
Orlando City also splashed the cash beyond the insane Dom Dwyer trade, by signing Pervuianinternational Yoshi Yotún and trading for Colorado midfielder Dillon Powers. For a club that hasn’t yet made the postseason, these are bold acquisitions to try and help them push past Columbus just to get into the playoffs. Jason Kreis is under pressure, as he should be, and now he has reinforcements to work with to stabilize Orlando’s sinking ship. Whether they provide the difference remains to be seen, as even with Dwyer, Orlando City hasn’t looked quite right yet, and the mix of players hasn’t gelled. But in their situation, the club has to take chances and these are the risks they’re now taking.
Other acquisitions to take note of are Columbus’ new DP, Portuguese winger Pedro Santos, Seattle’s new Spanish midfielder Victor Rodriguez and Chicago not only keeping David Accamafter it looked like he was going to leave, but also acquiring promising central defender Christian Dean from Vancouver. The Fire need depth, and this will help them maintain it and their great form going forward.
MLS transfer windows can be pretty bizarre, and this window certain had its twists and turns. The biggest moves were made by clubs who are clearly setting themselves up for 2018, while the major contenders for 2017 largely stood pat, including the clubs that seemingly needed to make a move, but didn’t. The league’s weird transfer system makes for interesting machinations and maneuvering, so much so that it sets up teams for 2017 and beyond in the same window. Many clubs made moves, but these are the ones everyone should keep an eye on as the league enters the home stretch.
