Two of the most ballyhooed young forwards in MLS traded teams on Friday.
Jack McInerney, who is coming off a 12-goal season in 2013, is headed to the Montreal Impact, with former No. 1-overall SuperDraft pick Andrew Wenger moving closer to home with the Philadelphia Union in the player-for-player swap between the two Eastern Conference sides.
The 21-year-old McInerney played for the Union over five seasons and emerged as the club's leading scorer in the last two. He was selected seventh overall in the 2010 SuperDraft and went on to score 25 regular-season goals in 95 games in Union colors. This year he's started all four matches for Philly, registering one goal.
McInerney's goalscoring exploits last year earned him All-Star status and a spot on the USMNT's 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup squad. He's also featured for US youth international teams at the Under-17, Under-20 and Under-23 levels.
"We are extremely pleased to be able to bring in a player of Jack McInerney's quality," said Impact sporting director Nick De Santis in a club statement. "At a young age, he's already showed the ability to score goals in this league and we feel his qualities and soccer sense fit well within our style of play."
The Impact made Wenger the top pick in the 2012 SuperDraft, but the Lancaster, Pa., native has only been able to net six goals in his 51 all-time regular-season appearances for the club and has often been criticized for his finishing ability. The 23-year-old has mainly served as a backup to Marco Di Vaio, who has proven to be one of the league's top strikers since arriving in 2012 (26 goals in 51 matches).
Wenger, who was voted the best player in the country in high school (2008) and college (2011), featured for Philadelphia's PDL affiliate side Reading United in 2010.
“Andrew is a young and talented attacking player who we think is a good fit with our style of play,” Union manager John Hackworth said in a club statement. “Jack was an important member of our squad over the past four years, but the reality is our team has evolved and this deal puts our team in a better overall position long-term.
"Andrew is a Pennsylvania native that we are familiar with from his time as a youth and Reading United player and he will be a great addition to our team as both a person and a player going forward.”
