It's time for another day of the pre-season tracker--because it's officially on. Yesterday, Fri., Jan. 22, 11 teams opened camp. And meanwhile, the moves and news roll on. Here are the latest happenings for Sat., Jan. 23.
FC Dallas sign a young DP from Ecuador
Dallas continues to think young with the signing of their new DP, Ecuadorian midfielder Carlos Gruezo. The 20-year-old comes from Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart, where he signed in Jan. 2014. That same year, he also ascended to the Ecuadorian senior national team, as well as the country's 2014 FIFA World Cup squad.
“His versatility will give us the opportunity to play a variety of formations, but most important for me is to see a player who, despite his age, has been at the highest level of international competition and has played at different positions, which makes me think we can use him in a variety of roles, and that is important in Major League Soccer,” said FC Dallas head coach Oscar Pareja in a statement.
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Red Bulls' Ouimette named to Canadian Men's National Team
The New York Red Bulls' center back Karl Ouimette has been called up to national team duty for Canada. One of 11 MLS players called in, he'll represent his home country in an upcoming Feb. 5 friendly against the USMNT. The Quebec native joined the Red Bulls ahead of the 2015 season, and since then, has also earned call-ups to all of Canada's major camps and competitions.
Union re-sign Creavalle
The Philadelphia Union have re-signed midfielder Warren Creavalle ahead of the upcoming 2016 season. The 25-year-old joined the team this past August from Toronto FC in exchange for a second round draft pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. He played in five games with the Union and made two starts.
“Warren is a versatile player who has a great deal of experience in our league,” Philadelphia Union Sporting Director Earnie Stewart said in a statement. “His ability to adapt to several positions and his work ethic make him a valuable player to have on our roster.”
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Cabrera returns to the Impact
Argentine defender Victor Cabrera will be sticking around the Montreal Impact. Following the completion of his transfer from Argentine side River Plate, he's signed a long-term contract with the Canadian club. The 22-year-old played 21 regular season games with the Impact in his first MLS season, and helped lead the team reach the CONCACAF Champions League Final against Club América.
"We are really happy to bring Victor Cabrera back," said Impact technical director Adam Braz in a statement. "He was able to integrate quickly with the team and played an important and consistent role in the team's success in both Champions league and MLS."
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Chicago Fire add two more to roster
The Fire announced Saturday that they've continued to bolster their midfield. First, they've re-signed midfielder Razvan Cocis, who first joined the Fire in July 2014. In two seasons with the team, he's scored two goals and three assists over 36 regular season appearances.
Second, the Fire have signed versatile Portuguese defender/midfielder Joao Meira, who arrives from Portuguese side C.F. Os Belenenses. He first joined that team in its 2012-2013 season, helping them ascend to the country's Primeira Liga.
"From our initial planning, we wanted to have Razvan back and are glad that we could finalize his return," said Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez in a statement. "Joao is an excellent complement to our existing group with experience as both a center back and, if needed, as a central midfielder."
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Defending MLS Cup champs kick off their preseason
With less than two months off since their MLS Cup 2015 victory, the Portland Timbers headed back to training camp today. Their revamped lineup includes some additions--like
Ned Grabavoy and Jack McInerney
--as well as some departures. Check out photos, videos, and training reports on the Timbers site
here
and
here
.
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