Columbus Crew SC on Friday announced that the team has acquired defender Chris Klute from the Colorado Rapids as part of the transaction executed during the First Round of the 2015 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, held yesterday at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia.
Crew SC traded down in the opening round, sending its 14th overall selection to the Rapids in exchange for Klute and the 19th overall pick. Per club and MLS policy, additional details of the deal were not disclosed.
The 24-year-old will join the Black & Gold roster effective immediately.
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Klute joins Columbus after three seasons with Colorado. In total, he has made 57 appearances (55 starts) over his MLS career, with 56 of those appearances coming over the past two seasons. In 2013, he led the Rapids in assists and earned the club's Defensive Player of the Year award. Additionally, Klute was called up by the United States men's national team for its 2014 January training camp, but has yet to make an appearance for the senior team.
As part of the transaction, Crew SC used the acquired 19th pick, selecting University of Connecticut and Jamaican national team defender Sergio Campbell in the First Round.
“Chris is a player we've been tracking for the last year," said Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter in a statement. "We identified him as a player that can fit well into our system of play. He's a very dynamic full back that likes to get into the attack and his versatility makes him an option on either side of the field.”
