A day after trading captain Davy Arnaud to the Montreal Impact, Sporting Kansas City moved quickly to replace the veteran's spot on the roster, acquiring hard-working Brazilian central midfielder Paulo Nagamura on Tuesday from Chivas USA in exchange for SKC’s first pick in the Supplemental Draft in January.
Nagamura, 28, has the most appearances of any Brazilian in league history, seeing action in 157 regular-season matches. But he registered the fewest appearances of his seven-year MLS career last season, making only six starts for head coach Robin Fraser’s Goats in 2011 as he struggled with a calf strain and right foot injury.
The São Paulo native, who was protected by Chivas USA ahead of last week’s Expansion Draft, joins the fourth MLS club of his career. He signed for the LA Galaxy in 2005 from English side Arsenal FC and played two seasons with LA before a transfer to Toronto FC and a final move to Chivas USA in 2007, where he has played outside of a six-month stint in Mexico with Tigres UANL in 2010.
