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The Vancouver Whitecaps have acquired midfielder Brek Shea from Orlando City FC, in exchange for striker Giles Barnes. It was long rumored the Whitecaps would pull the trigger on a deal for the 28 year old Barnes, who was brought over midway through 2016 while the Whitecaps desperately searched for a consistent striker to add to the roster. While he scored two goals in the Regular Season finale, he was far from the answer the Whitecaps were looking for, as they missed the post-season.
"We are excited to welcome Brek to our club and city," said Whitecaps FC manager Carl Robinson. "Brek is a tall, physical, skilled player and will bring a different dimension to our attack. Brek will join the group in coming days and we anticipate he will be available for selection as early as this Thursday's Champions League match against New York.”
Shea is turning 27 years old on Tuesday, and is coming off an inconsistent season with Orlando City FC. Shea was used at Left Back last season, and according to this article from the Orlando Sentinel, it was an unsuccessful stint, as he was eventually moved back to midfield later in the season.
Shea mostly served as a substitute toward the end of last season, starting just two of the final 10 matches, and struggled with injury. There was no natural fit for Shea under head coach Jason Kreis’ new 4-4-2 system for the 2017 season. In addition, his $595,000 salary last season, as reported by the MLS Players Union, ranked third on the team behind only Kaká and Antonio Nocerino.
He finished his two years in Orlando with three goals and six assists.
It’s a good depth move for a club with plenty of injuries to the position, including Christian Bolanos, Nicolas Mezquida, and Yordy Reyna. However, Shea carries a big price tag, and has never been able to replicate his 11 goal, 2011 season. Plus, this isn’t exactly the type of player the Whitecaps need right now; They need a creative, playmaking number 9 to replace Pedro Morales.
I’ve said my piece. What do you guys think? Do you like the move?