D.C. United’s offseason makeover continued Wednesday with another offensive shot in the arm after they picked up former New York and Real Salt Lake striker Fabian Espindola with the top pick in Stage 2 of the Re-Entry Draft.
DC now have a week to extend a bona fide offer to Espindola – who scored at least nine goals in each of the past three seasons – in order to bring him to a club that’s made a slew of moves in the past few days after posting the worst regular season record in league history.
DC also used their pick in the second round of the Re-Entry Draft on Wednesday to add defender Nana Attakora, who thrived with Toronto FC in 2009-10 but has struggled to find playing time ever since. He appeared in just eight games with San Jose Earthquakes last season.
The expected additions of Espindola and Attakora come on the heels of a trade Tuesday for US national team striker Eddie Johnson, as well as two moves in the first stage of the Re-Entry Draft last week that added veteran defenders Sean Franklin and Bobby Boswell.
The team also picked up veteran midfielder Davy Arnaud from Montreal last week, and holds the top pick in the MLS SuperDraft next month.
Toronto FC, meanwhile, made arguably the biggest splash of the day on Wednesday with the selection of former league MVP Dwayne De Rosario, the Canadian international who was let go by D.C. after the season. De Rosario, 36, spent the 2009 and 2010 seasons in Toronto before a falling out sent him to New York and eventually United, where he won the MLS MVP in 2011.
De Rosario scored three goals in 24 appearances for DC last season, two years removed from his career year in 2011 that saw him win the Budweiser Golden Boot with 16 goals and 12 assists.
The Seattle Sounders selected two players in the draft amid an already tumultuous offseason, adding journeyman striker Chad Barrett in the first round and youngster Corey Hertzog in the second round.
The San Jose Earthquakes selected defender Shaun Francis with their first-round pick and then added former New York Red Bulls defender Brandon Barklage in the second round, while the Vancouver Whitecaps selected well-traveled midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy in the first round.
