The Columbus Crew continued to ring in the changes, on Monday, trading holding midfielder Brian Carroll to the Philadelphia Union in exchange for a 2011 2nd round SuperDraft pick and allocation money.
Carroll, who has been with Columbus since 2008, is the latest high-profile change for the Crew as coach Robert Warzycha reshapes the side. Last week, the club parted ways with icon Guillermo Barros Schelotto, captain Frankie Hejduk, and Duncan Oughton, the longest tenured player in Columbus.
In three seasons in Columbus, the former D.C. United midfielder Carroll made 84 appearances, scoring two goals and recording three assists.
"He's a great pro and a great person who helped us win two Supporters Shields and an MLS Cup and we wish him the best in Philadelphia," Crew technical director Brian Bliss said of the trade.
The last 30 days have been eventful for Carroll. His penalty shootout miss against the Colorado Rapids in the Eastern Conference semifinal allowed the eventual champions to advance. Days later, Carroll was called by Bob Bradley to take part in the US’s friendly match against South Africa in Cape Town.
”As these discussions with Philadelphia arose, we began seeing an opportunity to achieve some objectives," Bliss said. "We acquired allocation money, a 2011 Superdraft second-round pick and solidified our expansion draft strategy while clearing some cap room to provide resources for our 2011 key priorities. Unfortunately, we must provide value to get value, and Brian Carroll is valuable."
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