With their playoff campaign set to start this weekend (vs. New England on Nov. 1 at 4 pm ET, UDN) , the Columbus Crew have continued to keep one eye on 2015.
The Columbus Dispatch reported on Wednesday that the Crew have signed 23-year-old Swedish midfielder Mohammed Saeid to a contract for the 2015 season. The Crew confirmed the signing via their Web site.
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Saeid, who will turn 24 in December, has played for Örebro in Sweden for the last three years, helping the club earn promotion from the 2013 Superettan, where Berhalter coached Hammarby, to the 2014 Allsvenskan, Sweden's top division. Örebro finished sixth in the 16-team league in 2014.
At 5-foot-6 and 141 pounds, the diminutive Saeid is expected to fit into a defensive midfield spot, according to what Berhalter told the Dispatch. Saeid confirmed that in an interview with TheCrew.com.
"We've talked a little bit about it," Saeid said. "It'll probably be the same as the role I've had here [at Örebro], the way that I've played here the last couple of seasons: central midfield, trying to dictate the tempo and dictating the play."
Like recent signingKei Kamara and Homegrown Player signingBen Swanson, Saeid will only be eligible to play for Columbus in 2015. According to the club, he'll be added to the roster on January 1, pending outstanding paperwork.
