clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

LAFC acquire defender Ryan Hollingshead via trade with FC Dallas

LAFC and FC Dallas complete deal to swap defenders

By Trebor Tracy
/ new
SOCCER: SEP 29 MLS - Sporting Kansas City at FC Dallas Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

LAFC with a surprise move on a Thursday. The club announced today that they had acquired the services of defender Ryan Hollingshead via trade with FC Dallas. In exchange for the 30-year-old defender, the black and gold sent over a defender of their own, Marco Farfan. The Portland Timbers homegrown featured in 29 matches (starting 21) for LAFC in 2021.

The move is a bit of a surprise, in the sense that Farfan didn't have a bad 2021 in the black and gold. While mostly used as a stay-at-home defender, Farfan rarely had chances to impact the match offensively, but as we pointed out in his review, he was excellent in defense for a team that struggled in that aspect. However, the arrival of Hollingshead gives the team a defender that will no doubt find himself in the mix on attack. The defender featured in 193 matches, with 149 starts, tallying 18 goals and 15 assists in his time with FCD.

“Ryan is not only known as one of the most versatile and valuable players in MLS but also as a great person and leader,” LAFC Co-President & General Manager John Thorrington said in a statement. “For these reasons, we are incredibly excited to welcome Ryan, his wife Taylor, and their family to LAFC. We also appreciate what Marco has meant to the club during his time here, which makes the moment bittersweet for us. He is a class act both on and off the field and we wish him all the best in Dallas.”

With the season rapidly approaching, this gives the team another weapon they can use in several different ways. With a majority of the team’s preseason matches being played behind closed doors, we will have to wait until the season to see how well he fits in with the identity Steve Cherundolo is creating ahead of his first year in charge. With an emphasis being put on building a defensive foundation, it’s no surprise to see the team make changes along the back. Only time will tell if it vastly improves a sore spot for the black and gold.

What do you think? Leave a comment below!

Loading comments...