Tony Cascio's name will be the answer to an MLS trivia question for years to come.
On Tuesday, he became the first player ever loaned between MLS clubs, when the Colorado Rapids sent him to the Houston Dynamo for the duration of the 2014 season.
The intra-league loan mechanism was approved for use in in 2013, but teams did not take advantage of it. It's a way for clubs to provide playing time to younger players on their roster – only players 24 years or younger are eligible – without entirely giving up their rights. At the end of the 2014 campaign, Cascio will return to the Rapids.
According to a Rapids spokesperson, as part of the loan agreement Cascio will not be eligible to play vs. Colorado:
In the meantime, Colorado open up a roster slot and free up salary budget space for other moves, while Houston get an up-and-coming, 23-year-old winger who has played in 42 matches in his two years in MLS. He'll be hoping for more starts in Houston after only logging four for the Rapids last year.
“I watched him in college and his first two years with Colorado and I enjoy the way he approaches the game,” Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear said in a statement. “He is not afraid to take on players and he has good versatility. I think when he has the ball at his feet he is not afraid to try and be productive, whether it be an assist or a goal. With what we have coming up this year, we think he is going to be a great addition to the team.”
The Dynamo's first training session of the preseason comes on January 27, while Rapids players report to camp on January 24.
