In exchange for midfielder Memo Rodriguez, the Los Angeles Galaxy have acquired the services of Diego Fagundez from Austin FC.
Tuesday, August 1, 2023, in the city of Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Galaxy made the announcement today that they had acquired the services of Austin FC midfielder Diego Fagundez. The deal was made in exchange for Austin FC midfielder Memo Rodriguez and $300,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) for the year 2023. The Galaxy could get up to $150,000 in conditional GAM if certain performance metrics are satisfied by Rodrguez, while Austin could receive up to $600,000 in conditional GAM if certain performance metrics are met by Fagundez. Both of these potential payouts are contingent on the performance of the respective players.
Fagundez, who is 28 years old, has amassed 68 goals and 67 assists throughout the course of his career in Major League Soccer (MLS), which spans 13 seasons (2011-Present) and 347 regular-season appearances (262 starts). In the 2022 season, Fagundez made 34 regular-season appearances (32 of which were starts) for Austin FC and sat tied for second in MLS with 15 assists. He also scored six goals during that time period. Fagundez has contributed to two goals and two assists for Austin FC in 2023, while appearing in 19 league games (starting 14 of those games). Notably, Fagundez is one of just 11 players in the history of Major League Soccer (MLS) to have recorded 65 goals and 65 assists in regular-season play for both teams.
“Diego is a guy with a lot of potential, a lot of different skills, and a lot of work ethic, and he has consistently produced on the offensive side. Greg Vanney, the head coach of the LA Galaxy and the sporting director, expressed his delight at the addition of the player, remarking, “We see him sliding seamlessly into our style of play, so we are pleased to bring him into the team.” “Working with Memo was a pleasure, and we wish him and his family the very best of luck in the future.”
The product of Montevideo, Uruguay, signed with Austin FC as a free agent for the 2021 campaign. He finished the club’s first season with seven goals and five assists in 33 regular-season appearances (including 30 starts). Before signing with Austin FC, Fagundez played for the New England Revolution for ten years, from 2011 to 2020. During that time, he amassed 261 games (186 starts), during which he scored 53 goals and assisted 45 others. On June 13, 2015, Fagundez became the youngest player in the history of Major League Soccer to reach 100 league appearances for his team, New England, when they played against Chicago Fire. The midfielder signed with the Revolution as a Homegrown Player when he was just 15 years old in the year 2010, and he made his first appearance in a professional match when he was 16 years old, coming on as a substitute against Chivas USA on August 6, 2011.
Rodriguez, who was 27 years old at the time, registered three goals and one assist for the LA Galaxy across all competitions during the 2023 campaign. He joined the club as a free agency on January 5, 2023, and appeared in a total of 16 games, 10 of which were starts. The player, who was born in Wharton, Texas, moved on to the Galaxy after recording 21 goals and 15 assists with Houston Dynamo FC (2015, 2017 – 22), where he featured in a total of 148 games (92 of which were starts) in all competitions. In the regular season of 2022, Rodriguez made 30 appearances for Houston, including 18 starts, and recorded three assists for the team.
