COLUMBUS, O.H. - Columbus Crew interim general manager Mark McCullers announced Tuesday that Crew midfielder Simon Elliott has acquired his green card from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and will no longer count as a Senior International on The Crew's roster.
Major League Soccer allows three Senior International (SI) players on each team and with this announcement, The Crew now has two SI slots available. New Zealand international Duncan Oughton is now the team's lone Senior International.
Elliott, also a New Zealand native and member of its national team, was acquired by Columbus in January from the Los Angeles Galaxy in exchange for The Crew's 2005 natural first-round SuperDraft pick.
Elliott had been with the Galaxy since joining the league in 1999. He has appeared in 13 games for The Crew, including 12 starts, and has one assist on the year. Prior to Columbus, he had appeared in 122 regular season games for L.A., starting 115, and had 53 points on 10 goals and 33 assists.
"It's great," said Elliott. "It has been a long process, and given the current climate in the United States, I am very happy it was able to get done. It not only helps me but it also helps The Crew as well. We now have the flexibility to go out and find another player who can help us work toward our ultimate goal, and that is an MLS Championship."
The Stanford graduate also appeared in 25 playoff games for Los Angeles, starting 21 and notching six assists. He helped lead L.A. to the 2002 MLS Cup title. On the international level, Elliott has appeared in over 50 games for New Zealand.
