Midfielder should help alleviate loss of Fred
Making its second deal with the New York Red Bulls in three weeks, D.C. United bolstered its midfield with the acquisition of Austin da Luz, a 2010 first-round draft pick (14th overall) out of Wake Forest. United sent an international roster spot to New York in return.
The son of Demon Deacons women’s soccer coach Tony da Luz, Austin da Luz had one goal and one assist in seven appearances (four starts) for the Red Bulls this season after not playing at all as a rookie.
“I thought he did very well, stepped up and was one of the better players in a couple of the games,” United general manager Dave Kasper said. “It’s there. The full year — and now in his second year — you expect the guy to start contributing more, especially a guy who was rated high coming out of college.”
In New York, da Luz was buried behind Joel Lindpere, but the left-sided winger has the ability to fill in anywhere in the midfield, on either wing or in a central role.
“It’s a tough team to break into,” da Luz said after his first training session in the District on Monday. “I think the atmosphere, the attitude, is sort of ‘win now,’ and that’s not always conducive to developing young talent. I think I maybe fell victim to that a little bit. But I’m excited to be here.”
D.C. United (5-5-8), which acquired playmaker Dwayne De Rosario from New York in exchange for Dax McCarty on June 27, gave up almost nothing in the deal for da Luz, sending a roster spot up Interstate 95 that enables the Red Bulls to sign German goalkeeper Frank Rost. But New York will relinquish its rights at the end of the year, and D.C. United will regain the spot.
United has not lost in three matches (1-0-2) since adding De Rosario, tying the Philadelphia Union and FC Dallas and holding the Red Bulls scoreless at home for the first time this year in a 1-0 win July 9.
The arrival of da Luz, 23, will help D.C. United account for the loss of Fred, who will be on the D.C. gameday roster for the last time Wednesday against New England before transferring to the Melbourne Heart in Australia. The team continues to be without multiple midfielders, including Branko Boskovic (knee surgery), Santino Quaranta and Brandon Barklage. The latter two are among four D.C. United players dealing with concussion symptoms.
Kasper said Barklage and forward Blake Brettschneider are on pace to return sooner rather than later, but both Quaranta, who has been out since May, and Devon McTavish, who suffered his head injury during preseason, are making slower progress.
