The Columbus Crew traded the rights to Dante Washington to Real Salt Lake on Friday in exchange for an undisclosed amount for salary budget considerations. Trading for salary cap relief is an allowable exception in order to sign players that will fill the roster space created by placing Duncan Oughton and Ross Paule on the season ending injury list.
The 34-year-old forward has appeared in 161 career Major League Soccer games, with 111 starts entering the 2005 season prior to being released by the Crew two weeks ago. He spent the 2003 and 2004 seasons with the A-League Virginia Beach Mariners, scoring 35 goals, prior to returning to the Crew for its final 2004 regular season game against the Colorado Rapids on Oct. 16, 2004, as well as the Crew's Eastern Conference Semifinal Series against the New England Revolution.
The Maryland native's 52 goals and 29 assists ranks him 19th on Major League Soccer's all-time scoring list. He is the 12th player in MLS history to score 50 career goals and the 19th player in MLS history to accumulate 100 career points. He earned six caps between 1991 and 1997, three of them starting assignments with the U.S. national team scoring two goals.
"I have been trying to figure out what I was going to do for three weeks and the only options that I was looking at were Washington, D.C. and Salt Lake City," said Washington, a nine-year MLS veteran, who also played for the Dallas Burn. "In addition, I have always wanted to play for [RSL head coach] John Ellinger and now I have that opportunity, as well as to be reunited with Jason Kreis."
In order to make room on the team's senior roster for Washington, RSL waived midfielder Evan Whitfield, who had appeared in five of the team's eight games this season.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
