Red Bull New York announced today that midfielder Dave van den Bergh has been traded to FC Dallas in exchange for forward Dominic Oduro and a second round (18th overall) selection in Thursday’s 2009 MLS SuperDraft. In addition, the Red Bulls and FC Dallas have swapped first round picks in 2009. The Red Bulls will now select 11th overall, and FC Dallas will select 14th. Per MLS and club policy, specific terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“During the past two years with New York, Dave has been a key component to our success; we hoped to bring him back for 2009 but he expressed a desire to be traded to Dallas,” said Red Bull New York Sporting Director Jeff Agoos. “In making this trade, we were able to acquire a player in Dominic who we expect to plug into our starting lineup immediately and we are in better position to strengthen the team in the draft.
“This was not an easy decision for us to make,” Agoos continued. “Our discussions with Dave over the past six months have been very positive about keeping him with the Red Bulls, but it was clear that the best thing for both parties was to grant Dave’s trade request. We wish him and his family all the best with FC Dallas.”
Oduro, 23, joins the Red Bulls from FC Dallas where he scored a career-high five goals and two assists in 25 games played – nine of which were starts. The speedy forward from Pramso, Ghana, was originally drafted by FC Dallas in the second round (22nd overall) of the 2006 SuperDraft from Virginia Commonwealth University. In his rookie season, Oduro made 16 appearances and three starts, scoring one goal. In 2007, Oduro led FC Dallas with 29 games played, finding the back of the net three times while chipping in two assists.
At VCU, Oduro was the 2004 Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year and was selected to the NSCAA All-American Third Team after scoring 18 goals and five assists in 41 matches during his two years at VCU. Prior to transferring to VCU, Oduro attended the University of Ghana.
Van den Bergh was originally acquired from the Kansas City Wizards on Jan. 11, 2007 in exchange for a 2007 third round MLS Supplemental Draft pick. He is coming off a 2008 campaign in which he played in integral role in the club’s Western Conference Championship and MLS Cup Finals appearance. The former Dutch international scored a career-high seven goals, adding five assists. Both totals ranked him second on the team. He opened the 2008 season for the Red Bulls by scoring just 46 seconds into the match, a team record, and tallied the game-winner in New York’s win over Real Salt Lake, giving the organization its first conference championship and MLS Cup Finals berth.
This was a tough decision for Dave, his family, and the Red Bulls, but we think that it worked out well for all involved. It was not exclusively a soccer related deal, as there were family related components to the deal becoming a possibility. We wish Dave all the best, as he was great to work with and a great Red Bull. We also welcome Dominic, and look forward to the extra pick. Now… could there be more deals in the works?
What are your thoughts on the deal? What do you think of Oduro? Do you think the Red Bulls are done dealing? How should the Red Bulls use the cap space?
