We’re back after an extended weekend! Having Fridays off is pretty great, but having Mondays off might be even better. But I know you missed my niche soccer musings, so let’s get to it.
Possible LouCity forward target signs with Reno 1868
Phil Durbin is about as good as anyone not actually employed by the club at finding available talent, and early this offseason he had his sights set on Foster Langsdorf. Langsdorf, a Portland Timbers forward, had been bouncing up and down between the first team and T2 before getting released back in November. The 24-year-old is coming off a 2019 season that saw him score seven goals and tally six assists in 27 games for Portland in the Championship. In 2018, Langsdorf set a T2 record with 14 goals, adding four assists in 30 appearances, which included the first hat trick in T2 history against the LA Galaxy II on May 28, 2018.
1868 got their claws in him first, however, which is too bad. However, we won’t have to worry about seeing him on the opposite bench from us, which I suppose is good.
Two former Hammers retire (?)
Birmingham had a pretty good ending to their inaugural campaign in 2019 and have been doing a good job updating their roster in the offseason. However, two of their better players abruptly announced their retirement last week: Femi Hollinger-Janzen and Daniel Johnson.
I say abrupt because Femi, an IU grad, was playing in MLS just two seasons ago with New England and is just 26. Daniel Johnson, age 24, was a standout at UofL, got drafted at the Fire but never really got a chance, and was Birmingham’s best player not named Kisiedou last season. I know money’s not great in lower-division American soccer and we all have to grow up or move on some day, but these guys both seemed like they were in the prime of their careers, and now are moving on to something else.
It’s just a coincidence that they both have somewhat local ties, I’m sure.
