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INTEREST IN JOE MASON FOR HUDSON

Colorado Rapids are shopping once again the United Kingdom and they’re headed to the same aisle as Washington Post’s Steve Goff has linked Anthony Hudson’s side with a loan move for striker Joe Mason from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Daily Mail have got in on the action, pairing the Rapids with Wolves’ Mason in addition to a move for Aston Villa’s Ross McCormack. Scottish striker McCormack spent the first half of the season with Melbourne City in the Hyundai A-League over in Australia and scored 14 goals in 16 appearances, including a couple of cracking free-kicks but was dropped at one point due to shoddy timekeeping.

Wolves have already supplied Hudson with personnel this offseason, midfielder Jack Price joined the Rapids in January. So far three of four signings have come from the UK. Mason, 26, is an English-born player who represented the Republic of Ireland at youth international level via his Irish mother.

TWO LEFT AT HOME FOR MLS CUP CHAMPIONS

The 2018 CONCACAF Champions League gets underway for Toronto FC this week on Tuesday night (10pm ET – 3am Wednesday in the UK) against the aforementioned Colorado Rapids but will be without two notable squad members.

The Toronto Sun’s Kurt Larson has the news that centre-back Chris Mavinga and right back Gregory van der Wiel did not make the trip to Colorado. Van der Wiel’s has a pregnant girlfriend and the decision was made that he would not travel, meaning a potential debut for new Brazilian signing Auro.

Mavinga is still recovering from an abdominal injury he picked up at the end of 2017. His likely replacement in the first leg against Colorado will be Eriq Zavaleta alongside Drew Moor in the middle of the defence.

ORLANDO TO BRING IN SANE FROM WERDER

Lamine Sané, a 30-year-old French-born Senegal international, from German side Werder Bremen, is about to sign for the United States’ MLS side Orlando City. Rundown is dizzy from all those nations before it even considers its own English heritage. The 6-foot-3 defender has experience in Ligue 1, Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League.

Pro Soccer USA report cites a source close to the club (Rundown is not here to judge), that the Lions are “in the final stages” of bringing in a player suspended by Bremen’s technical staff last month for two unexcused absences from training while suffering from illness. It was claimed at the time by sporting director Frank Baumann that he’d “put his individual interests above the success of the team.”

Sané made his name with Bordeaux in France, making nearly 200 appearances for the club from 2009-16 before moving to the Bundesliga in the summer of 2016. The Pro Soccer USA report suggests that he has amassed a dozen caps for Senegal, which is in reality 25. He will provide competition for central defensive berths to Jose Aja, Jonathan Spector and Amro Tarek.

INJURY NEWS

Dom Dwyer will miss the start of the new campaign for Orlando City after suffering a quad strain in preseason with the Lions. Dwyer, who counts Norwich City, Staines Town and King’s Lynn in the UK as part of his youth career, is expected to miss 2-4 weeks.

Any Other Business…

Following the announcement that Roman Torres has signed a new contract with Seattle Sounders, the Rave Green are considering making a move for Panama teammate Roderick Miller from Colombian side Atletico Nacional according to Niko Moreno at Sounders at Heart… Former Montreal Impact captain Patrice Bernier is joining TVA Sports as a contributor to L’Impact this week.

Thank you for reading the MLS Rundown, a daily column focused on news, rumours and transfers. If you would like to connect with the writer, please do so on twitter @CT_MLS