MLS Rundown: New York City Not The Only Sister Club In Town

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RED BULL GIVES YOU WINGS

After yesterday’s news that New York City FC’s Jack Harrison has joined sister club Manchester City in England, rivals New York Red Bulls have acquired German midfielder Marc Rzatkowski on loan from sister club Red Bull Salzburg of the Austrian Bundesliga.

The 27-year-old will remain with New York on a season-long loan and will occupy an international spot on the club’s roster.

“We are pleased to welcome Marc to New York,” Red Bulls sporting director Denis Hamlett said in a club statement. “Marc adds quality and experience to our group and has proven that he can play anywhere in the midfield. We look forward to him helping our team and sharing in our success this season.”

Rzatkowski only played occasionally for Salzburg after he joined the team from German second-division side St. Pauli in June 2016, recording five goals and five assists in 27 first team appearances with the club. He had three goals and three assists in 14 appearances in all competitions this season.

“We are glad to have Marc on board,” said head coach Jesse Marsch. “He brings experience to our locker room and can play in different positions within the midfield. He has qualities that we like and a personality that we think fits well within our group. He is excited to come to New York and be a part of our team.”

FREE AGENT FOR ATLANTA UNITED

Atlanta United have signed veteran defender Sal Zizzo via MLS free agency. The 30-year-old fullback joins Atlanta after three seasons with the New York Red Bulls, where he recorded six assists in 73 regular season appearances. He had two assists in 23 matches and 18 starts in 2017.

“We know Sal had options this offseason and we’re happy he has chosen to sign with our club,” Atlanta VP and technical director Carlos Bocanegra said in a club statement. “He’s a defender who we’ve seen play in a similar high-tempo style with the New York Red Bulls and we expect him to come in and compete on our backline.”

Zizzo has been in MLS since 2010, and has 162 career regular season appearances across his stints with New York, Sporting Kansas City, Portland Timbers and Chivas USA. The San Diego native spent three years in Germany with Hannover 96 before returning to North America to sign with MLS.

CHILEAN INTERNATIONAL ON WAY TO KANSAS

Chilean international Felipe Gutierrez is close to signing for Sporting Kansas City, according to a report from The Kansas City Star’s Sam McDowell.

Chilean journalist Francisco Arellano has added that MLS is Gutierrez’s most likely destination following his release from Spanish club Real Betis. Arellano noted that the 27-year-old midfielder already had contacts with team through fellow Chilean, striker Diego Rubio.

Gutierrez joined Real Betis in the summer of 2016 after four years with Dutch club Twente. He scored one goal in 14 appearances with the La Liga club before being loaned to Brazilian side Internacional in March 2017. He had one goal and one assists in 16 appearances in Brazil, helping Internacional finish second in Serie B and earn promotion to the top flight before his loan expired at the end of the year. Gutierrez has 35 career caps with the Chilean national team, helping the country to the 2015 Copa América title and playing in all four of Chile’s matches at the 2014 World Cup. His last international appearance came in October.

MARK ANTHONY-KAYE ON VERGE OF JOINING LAFC

LAFC may be close to signing a promising player coming off a USL title and Gold Cup appearances in 2017. Goal.com’s Ives Galarcep reports that the expansion club is set to acquire Canadian national team midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye.

According to Galarcep, LAFC acquired Kaye’s rights after completing a transfer deal with Louisville City FC. Galarcep said the deal is “believed to be one of the highest paid for a USL player.”

A 23-year-old winger, Kaye made two appearances for Canada at last summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup and is a former member of Toronto FC’s academy. He had four goals and one assist in 23 appearances in 2017 to help Louisville to the USL championship.

Any Other Business…

After weeks of speculation surrounding a return home, Atlanta United have finalised the transfer of midfielder Carlos Carmona to Colo-Colo in his native country of Chile for an undisclosed transfer fee… D.C. United have former US youth international John Requejo in camp as a trialist, according to The Washington Post’s Steven Goff… Colorado Rapids are one of two teams interested in Preston North End’s Irish striker Eoin Doyle. According to the Irish Sun report, Doyle is “mulling his options” about whether to go with the Rapids or Oldham Athletic.