"Two weeks ago, few could've expected that the most notable international acquisition of the MLS offseason would be made by Minnesota United. The team's marquee import until last week was Finland striker Teemu Pukki, with honorable mentions for Colombian playmaker Darwin Quintero and ex-Porto midfielder Ibson. The Loons aren't known for paying sizable transfer fees, and their wage bill last year was the league's fifth-smallest."
"I've been in top leagues, but I wanted to play in this league, Rodriguez said in his introduction at Allianz Field. When the chance arose with this great club, things were progressing a bit slowly, but it happened. Both sides made an effort, and when a club trusts you, you have to give it your all so everyone feels good. That's why I'm here, to help and hopefully win things."
"Rodriguez arrives nearly half a decade removed from his Everton tenure which proved to be his final stop as the centerpiece of a major European club. His path from the Premier League to MLS makes for good pub trivia: Al-Rayyan, Olympiacos, Sao Paulo, Rayo Vallecano, Club Leon. One would be forgiven for struggling to picture him in most of those clubs' shirts, as Rodriguez's legacy continues to be most directly associated with his exploits for Colombia."
Minnesota United signed Colombia playmaker James Rodriguez as a marquee international acquisition. The club previously relied on lower-profile imports such as Teemu Pukki, Darwin Quintero and Ibson and maintained one of MLS's smallest wage bills. Minnesota endured a three-month siege-like deployment of over 3,000 federal immigration agents across the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metro area that resulted in two confirmed deaths. Rodriguez said he left top leagues to play in MLS and pledged to give his all when a club trusts him. Rodriguez arrives after spells at Everton, Al-Rayyan, Olympiacos, Sao Paulo, Rayo Vallecano and Club Leon and readies for his fourth World Cup after starring at the 2024 Copa America.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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