FC Dallas acquired young midfielder Brian “Cobi” Span on Thursday, winning a weighted lottery conducted by league officials.
A dynamic wide player from Somers, N.Y., Span joins MLS after two seasons with Swedish first-division club Djurgårdens IF, where he made 14 appearances and scored one goal. His contract was not renewed following the 2013 campaign.
Span, who turns 22 next month, played two years at the University of Virginia before signing with Djurgårdens in 2012. He started 39 of 41 matches during his time with the Cavaliers, scoring 12 goals and adding eight assists as a forward.
FC Dallas had the best odds of capturing the winger in Thursday’s weighted lottery, with a 41.1 percent chance. The Chicago Fire (27 percent chance), San Jose Earthquakes (18.7 percent), New England Revolution (12.3 percent) and Real Salt Lake (0.9 percent) also took part in the lottery.
Players made available through weighted lotteries include Generation adidas players signed after the MLS SuperDraft, or draft-eligible players to whom an MLS contract was offered but who failed to sign with the league prior to the draft. FCD will now not be able to participate in another weighted player lottery this season unless all teams have taken a player via the process, or have waived their option to participate in the lottery.
