VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced on Wednesday that the club has acquired forward Fabian Espindola from D.C. United in exchange for general allocation money.
Here are five things you need to know about Vancouver’s newest striker.
MLS VET: This is Espindola’s 10th season in Major League Soccer, having joined the league in 2007. He’s second to only Jordan Harvey when it comes to MLS experience on Vancouver’s roster. He’s also played the most MLS playoff matches (19) of anyone on the team. In fact, Espindola has appeared in the playoffs in nine straight seasons after his first year in the league.
WINNER: Espindola, 31, becomes the only active Whitecaps FC player to have won an MLS Cup, capturing the trophy in 2009 with Real Salt Lake. He also helped RSL reach the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League Final and won the MLS Supporters’ Shield with New York Red Bulls in 2013 and the Copa Sudamericano with Argentine giants Boca Juniors in 2005. “He knows what it takes to win,” said Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson.
STRIKE RATE: A striker who can also play on the left wing, Espindola has 64 goals in 212 MLS regular season appearances (and 176 starts) – which adds up to about a goal every three games. The left-footed forward, who stands at 5-foot-9, is seventh among active MLS players in goals scored. He also has 36 assists.
COMPETITOR: Those who know Espindola praise him for more than just his ability to put the ball in the back of the net. D.C. United assistant coach Davy Arnaud, a former teammate of Espindola’s, said: “He’s always a nuisance and he’s always making himself a hassle to play against. He’s a great competitor.” Former D.C. United midfielder Luis Silva added: “He brings that edge and winning mentality … he always wants to win and he hates losing.”
JOURNEY TO MLS: Born in the small town of Merlo, San Luis, Argentina, Espindola was spotted by Boca Juniors on a scouting tour. The Argentine powerhouse invited him, and hundreds of others, to a tryout in Buenos Aires. According to the Washington Post, Espindola bought the bus ticket and cleats for the tryout with money raised from odd jobs and lawn work. The rest is history. Espindola joined the Boca Juniors academy, and then first team, before spending some time with Argentine side Talleres, a few clubs in Ecuador, and eventually making the move to MLS.
After a 2-2 draw with English Premier League side Crystal Palace FC, Whitecaps FC return to MLS action on Saturday against Houston Dynamo (6:30 p.m. PT at BBVA Compass Stadium – TSN2 and TSN 1040 radio), before visiting FC Dallas the following weekend.
The ‘Caps are searching for their first-ever point in the state of Texas.
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