It may not seem like Chicago needs another midfielder, but according to reports in the midwest, they’re about to get one. The Fire look set to send attacker Dominic Oduro to Columbus for Dilly Duka, with the Columbus Dispatch reporting the deal is done.
The Fire has already acquired Jeff Larentowicz and Joel Lindpere this offseason, with holdovers Daniel Paladini, Wells Thompson, Alex, and the seemingly right back-bound Logan Pause already forcing Frank Klopas into some improvised solutions. Decisions about how to use attackers like Patrick Nyarko and Chris Rolfe also get pulled into this crowded picture, with Designated Player Sherjill MacDonald likely to be Klopas’s first choice up top.
That crunch is part of the reason Oduro’s moving on. The Ghanian attacker exploded for 12 goals in 2604 minutes after coming over from Houston in 2011, but with more competition for spots in 2012, Oduro slipped to six goals and 1823 minutes.
Though Oduro is four years older than Duka, this seems like a shrewd acquisition for Columbus. Oduro may be the perfect type of guy to come in and spell either Federico Higuaín or Jairo Arrieta, Columbus’s first choice attackers. He’s been far more productive than Duka while making almost the same amount of money (something that may be different for the coming season). While he can’t replace Higuaín’s playmaking ability, he does allow Robert Warzycha to maintain a viable attacking tandem when the Argentine is out.
The main things Columbus give up are youth and promise, but it may be worth it. Duka has provided glimpses of somebody who could provide a needed spark to Columbus’s midfield, but he never established a consistent place in the team (averaging 21 appearances over the last two seasons).
Chicago seems willing to gamble that the talent that made him a U.S. U-20 regular four years ago can still come good. If it doesn’t, Chicago’s merely added to their midfield logjam.
