St. Louis City went out and bought the thing they did not have. Twelve million dollars in cash to Colorado Rapids, and Rafael Navarro is theirs. He could play as soon as Saturday night in Vancouver.
The numbers make the case without much help. Navarro has 10 league goals this year, a third consecutive MLS season in double figures. St. Louis had no one within touching distance of that, with Simon Becher and Marcel Hartel sharing the team lead on six apiece.
The Missouri club sit sixth in the Western Conference on 34 points from 22 games, one spot above Colorado. So they shopped at a direct rival.
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Damet talks about the running before he talks about the goals
Yoann Damet was clear about what he bought. The St. Louis coach rates Navarro among the hardest-working forwards in the league, a striker who scores but also chases, presses, and does the ugly work for everyone around him. Attitude came up as often as output.
There will be no minutes cap either. The Brazilian was starting regularly for Colorado right up until the deal broke.
He walks into a team that has not lost in 13 matches across all competitions, 12 of them in the league. Since the post-World Cup restart at the end of July, Damet’s side have taken down Houston and San Jose, two of the West’s genuine contenders.
Vancouver lead the West, and have had three days off
The Whitecaps sit top on 43 points, four clear of Houston with a game in hand. Their last two MLS outings finished 8-0 on aggregate against Dallas and Kansas City. Brian White is up to 13 goals, the best mark at the club.
Then there is the schedule. Vancouver drew 1-1 at home with CF Montreal in the first leg of the Canadian Championship on Wednesday night. Three days later they host the form team in the conference.
Jesper Sorensen is not dressing it up. The Whitecaps coach said everyone in the league knows Navarro, and pointed out the striker has hurt him before.
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