Goodbye Tyler Miller, plus how many LAFC players are in Olympic qualifying?

The week of the goalkeeper continued for Los Angeles Football Club on Thursday, as Tyler Miller’s tenure with the club officially came to an end with his trade to Minnesota United. It’s the final shoe to drop on LAFC’s goalkeeper situation, after Dutch veteran Kenneth Vermeer was signed from Feyenoord on Wednesday.

Time will tell if this move works out for all parties. Miller was stellar the first half of 2019 and poor after returning from international duty. He’s an athlete willing to show his emotions at times, showing vulnerability that few are brave enough to do, and he still has growth in him. He also was a force in the community, and his work to raise funds to fight cancer makes him one of the best ambassadors around. LAFC may find a GK upgrade for the next couple years from Vermeer, that’s the hope anyway. Miller gets to start in Minnesota with the No. 1 spot open, and he’ll likely bounce back. Best of luck to Tyler, and here’s hoping he doesn’t come back to haunt LAFC in a knockout game down the line.

More news for this Friday:

• Five players headed to Olympic qualifying: The CONMEBOL Olympic qualifying tournament is on tap beginning Saturday in Colombia, and five(!) LAFC players are involved. Eduard Atuesta is captaining the home team and Eddie Segura joins him on Colombia’s roster, while Diego Rossi and Francisco Ginella will suit up for Uruguay and Jose Cifuentes will line up for Ecuador. Vince La Rosa has a good writeup on the team’s website. Of note: Two teams will qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, so at most two of these three countries will book a place in the summer tourney (could also be one country or none, obviously).
• Another Cifuentes golazo: In a Olympic qualifying tune-up friendly, Cifuentes latched onto a ball bouncing around and slammed in a blast for Ecuador. This guy may have a knack for these long bombs!

• NWSL Draft recap: The 2020 NWSL Draft is in the books, and lots of local storylines. UCLA and Monrovia’s Ashley Sanchez fell a bit to No. 4 and the Washington Spirit, while the Spirit also selected USC and Coto de Caza’s Natalie Jacobs. Julia Bingham, out of USC and Ontario, was taken by the Chicago Red Stars in the second round, UCLA and LA native Chloe Castaneda was picked in the third round by the Houston Dash, while UCLA and Mission Viejo’s Kaiya McCullough was taken by the Spirit as well. Here’s some post-draft analysis from our pals over at All for XI.
• OCSC tryouts this weekend: The USL Championship season is inching closer, with Orange County SC opening up their 2020 campaign on March 6. This weekend, they’re hosting open tryouts. Think you’ve got what it takes to become a professional player? Find details on the team website.

It’s Friday, so let’s do something different and ask an off-topic question: As I grow older I become more interested in cooking. What’s your special dish, and why? You don’t have to share the recipe but no one will be mad if you do! Let’s share our specialties below in the comments section!