An old face returned to New York on Saturday as the Red Bulls continued tweaking in preparation for 2015.
Ahead of their season opener against Sporting KC on Sunday (7 pm ET, FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes), the New York announced the signing of Jamaican midfielder Dane Richards and waived defender Armando. Richards, who played with the Red Bulls from 2007-12, signs with the team after spending the preseason as a trialist.
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Per league rules, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"Dane came into camp ready," Red Bulls head coach Jesse Marsch said in a statement. "This fan base knows what he can do on the field, but in talking with Dane he's shown that he has matured and his understanding of the game has improved. We're still figuring out exactly how he fits into this team, but we think he can be a factor over the course of the season."
Richards, a native of Montego Bay, Jamaica, was drafted out of Clemson University by the Red Bulls in 2007. He started 27 games and contributing two goals and six assists as a MLS Rookie of the Year finalist. During nearly six seasons in New York, Richards made 147 MLS regular season appearances, second-most in team history, and tallied 21 goals and 26 assists.
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After heading to Vancouver via trade in the summer of 2012 for forward Sebastian Le Toux and allocation money, Richards joined English Championship side Burnley, where he made one appearance before going on loan to Bodø/Glimt in the Norwegian First Division.
"Dane comes back as a veteran, and a guy who we think can bring another element to this lineup," sporting director Ali Curtis said. "We think he can play a role here and help us achieve success over the course of a long season."
Richards has 45 caps for the Jamaican national team. He broke into the side as an 18-year-old in 2002, and featured heavily in the 2008 Caribbean Championship, the 2009 Gold Cup and 2010 World Cup Qualifying. He helped Jamaica to back-to-back Caribbean Championship titles in 2008 and 2010, scoring three goals and winning the tournament's golden boot in 2010.
Armando made 19 appearances, including 14 starts, for the Red Bulls in 2014 after being acquired last January. The 30-year-old previously played with Cordoba in the Spanish second division, and also spent time with Mexican side Veracruz and FC Barcelona's 'B' team.
