Orlando City SC and the Colorado Rapids pulled off a midfield swap in the final hours of the MLS summer transfer window, with the Rapids receiving Luis Gil and $100,000 of Targeted Allocation Money while Dillon Powers heads south to Orlando.
The transaction marks the second team in the MLS career of Powers, the 2013 MLS Rookie of the Year, who also won Colorado’s team MVP honors that season as he notched five goals and six assists to help the Rapids reach the MLS Cup Playoffs. The 26-year-old midfielder leaves Colorado with 14 goals and 26 assists in 139 overall appearances for the club.
“Dillon is a creative midfielder who has proven himself in this league over the past four seasons,” Orlando General Manager Niki Budalic said in a club release. “We are pleased to add more depth to our midfield with this trade and look forward to integrating Dillon into the team.”
Gil, 23, joined Orlando City earlier this season on a season-long loan from Liga MX side Queretaro, and made 17 appearances for the Lions (six starts). He previously starred for Real Salt Lake, where he scored 11 goals and nine assists in 134 regular-season appearances from 2011-15, highlighted by a run to the 2013 MLS Cup final.
“We are very excited to welcome Luis to the Club,” said Rapids sporting director and interim GM Pádraig Smith in a club release. “We’re pleased to be able to bring in a creative, forward-thinking midfielder like Luis who can integrate quickly and add depth to our attacking group.”
