Chivas USA, the Colorado Rapids, Toronto FC and Columbus Crew juggled their rosters Thursday afternoon with a flurry of trades.
Chivas acquired Honduran international Marvin Chávez (above) from the Colorado Rapids in exchange for striker Luke Moore and forward Ryan Finley from the Columbus Crew for a conditional second-round pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft.
The Rapids then flipped Moore to Toronto FC in exchange for young US international defender Gale Agbossoumonde.
In Chávez and Finley, Chivas USA have added much-needed help to an attack that has generated nine goals in nine games, seven of which have come from forward Erick "El Cubo" Torres.
“We are very happy to add Marvin Chávez and Ryan Finley to our club as they will immediately bolster our attack,” Chivas USA head coach Wilmer Cabrera said in a statement. “Chávez is one of the best wide midfielders in the league and is very versatile at creating scoring opportunities. Finley will fit perfectly in our plan as a center forward, as his mobility and approach to the game will support and complement Erick Torres’ skills up top.”
- Get the latest Chivas headlines at CDChivasUSA.com
Following their May 17 match against FC Dallas, Chávez, who has made just two appearances for the Rapids this season after joining the team over the offseason in a trade with the San Jose Earthquakes, will join the Honduran national team in Miami in preparation for the World Cup. He will then participate in the Road to Brazil 2014 series of friendlies, where LosCatrachos will face Turkey in Washington on May 29 and Israel on June 1 in Houston.
Finley, who was most recently on loan with USL PRO side Dayton Dutch Lions, came into the league as a rookie in 2013 and recorded a goal and assist in 14 games with the Crew.
Agbossoumonde (at right), a central defender who has made an appearance with the US national team after coming up through the youth ranks, joins Colorado after a brief stay with TFC since the start of 2013 after playing for clubs in Portugal, Sweden and Germany.
"We're excited to welcome Gale to our squad, as he's a talented young player who can add depth to our back line," Rapids VP of soccer operations Paul Bravo said in a statement. "He has a great deal of experience for a player of his age, both on the club and national level. We want to thank Marvin for his hard work during his short time with us, and wish him the best of luck with Chivas USA."
- Get the latest Rapids news at ColoradoRapids.com
Agbossoumonde was a regular for the US Under-20 national team from 2008-11, and played all three matches for the squad at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt as a 17-year-old.
In Moore, TFC are getting a veteran attacker who made just six appearances and two starts for Chivas USA after being acquired over the offseason from Turkish top-flight club Sanica Boru Elazigspor.
“With our current depth in defense, we felt that the opportunity to acquire an attacking player like Luke Moore was the right decision to make at this time for the club as we approach the World Cup break,” Toronto FC general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said in a statement.
“With Luke’s experience, he will be a welcomed addition to our squad and provide more options for us upfront. We’d like to thank Gale for all of his contributions both on and off the pitch and wish him well in Colorado.”
- Get the latest TFC news at TorontoFC.ca
Moore began his youth career at Aston Villa FC and spent the majority of his career with Aston Villa in the English Premier League from 2003-08.
