Sporting KC sends Oliveira, Pasher to Atlanta for Jones, GK
Sporting Kansas City has traded midfielder Kevin Oliveira and defender Tyler Pasher to Atlanta United FC for forward Kenwyne Jones and goalkeeper Alexander Tambakis.
Sporting KC also sent its second-round pick in next year’s draft to Atlanta while getting back that club’s fourth-round selection in the 2021 draft.
The deal was struck Sunday during Major League Soccer’s half-day trade window.
The 21-year-old Oliveira and the 25-year-old Pasher were developmental players who spent most of last season with Swope Park Rangers, the USL affiliate of Sporting KC. Jones is a longtime Trinidad and Tobago national team member while Tambakis was the first signing in Atlanta United history. In other moves: — FC Dallas traded 24-year-old defender Walker Zimmerman to Major League Soccer expansion club Los Angeles Football Club in exchange for $500,000 in allocation money and the No. 1 position in the MLS Allocation Ranking.
Zimmerman appeared in 52 games over the past two seasons, scoring five goals. He was Dallas’ leader in minutes on the 2016 team that won the Supporters’ Shield.
Zimmerman debuted with the U.S. national team earlier this year.
LAFC also received FC Dallas’ No. 11 ranking in the MLS Allocation Ranking. And in another deal, it acquired an international player slot for next season from Atlanta United for a fourth-round draft pick.
— The Portland Timbers traded 27-year-old forward Darren Mattocks to D.C. United for a 2018 international roster slot.
— New York City FC traded 32-year-old defender Frederic Brilliant to D.C. United for $75,000 in general allocation money and a 2018 international roster spot.
Stanford beats Indiana in OT for third straight NCAA title
CHESTER » Sam Werner ripped off his shirt, raced the length of the field and was smothered by a swarm of Stanford teammates.
Even for a budding dynasty, that championship feeling isn’t getting old.
Werner scored in the second overtime to lead Stanford to its third straight NCAA men’s soccer title with a 1-0 win over Indiana on Sunday.
The goal was blasted over goalkeeper Trey Muse’s head from close range and sneaked just under the crossbar after an Indiana turnover in the box, setting off a wild celebration.
“I honestly need to watch the tape — I’m not really sure what happened,” Werner said.
Stanford coach Jeremy Gunn then leaned over and whispered something in the midfielder’s ear during the postgame news conference.
“Oh yeah, you’re right, I scored a bike,” Werner said with a laugh.
The golden goal wasn’t quite as pretty as a bicycle kick, but it sure was dramatic.
Before the College Cup final, Indiana (18-1-6) was the only team in the country without a loss. The Hoosiers were denied their first undefeated season in program history and their ninth national championship.
“Our guys had a special year,” Indiana coach Todd Yeagley said. “We often say the best mark you can leave is putting a star on your jersey and we came really close today. But I do know this team will be talked about not only this year or next year but for many years to come.”
The Cardinal (19-2-2), who came into the NCAA tournament as the No. 9 seed, is just the second men’s soccer program to win three straight titles. Virginia, under former U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena, won four in a row from 1991 to 1994.
The Cardinal women won the national championship last weekend, making Stanford the first school to win both soccer titles in the same season.
“I don’t think what it means to us and what it means to the university and program will sink in for a few weeks,” said senior defender Tomas Hilliard-Arce, a key part of all three men’s championship teams.
Anchored by HilliardArce and Indiana’s Grant Lillard, both teams’ defenses limited scoring chances and controlled the flow of the game on a cold day at Talen Energy Stadium, home of Major League Soccer’s Union.
Hilliard-Arce and Lillard are finalists for the MAC Hermann Trophy, given to college soccer’s best player, and Hilliard-Arce is expected to be one of the top picks in next month’s MLS draft after ending his college career with three straight titles.