In an unsurprising move today, the Montreal Impact acquires Kenny Cooper from the Seattle Sounders. After a weak start to their MLS campaign with only two points through four matches, which is forgotten to due their qualification to the CONCACAF Champions League Final, Adam Braz and the rest of management needed to add some depth to the thinning forward group and they did exactly that with the addition of the American striker.
After sensational rookie striker Cameron Porter was sidelined for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL and the club released Santiago Gonzalez, Montreal was left with only Jack McInerney and Romario Williams as their true strikers. Speculation loomed about Cooper’s move north of the border and all the rumours turned into facts today.
He will be an important piece to the strikers moving forward, relieving McInernery some of his duties. The 30-year-old Maryland native could help out the 22-year-old from Tennessee on both the mental and physical sides of his game.
Montreal Impact Acquires Kenny Cooper
The following is a press release from the Montreal Impact.
MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact announced on Sunday that the club has acquired American striker Kenny Cooper via MLS waivers. As per league policy, details of the agreement were not disclosed.
Cooper, a veteran of eight seasons in MLS, is ranked 18th all-time with 75 career regular season goals. He has also registered 15 assists, playing in 210 games, including 172 starts, for 15,271 minutes. He also took part in seven MLS playoff matches.
“I’m very excited to have the opportunity to join the Montreal Impact,” said Kenny Cooper. “With the recent achievement of reaching the Champions League final, it’s obviously a great time for the club. I am eager and determined to contribute to more success this year. It will be a privilege to represent a club, so rich in history and fan support.”
“We are very pleased to add Kenny to our roster,” said Impact technical director Adam Braz. “We have spoken about wanting to add quality depth to our attack and we have done so with this signing. Kenny has scored 75 goals in our league and that says a lot about his abilities. He is an excellent person who will fit in well with our group. We have improved our team and we are looking forward to having him join our group.”
Last season, Cooper played 22 regular season games, collecting three goals and four assists. He also helped the Sounders win a fourth US Open Cup, scoring six goals in four games, earning him the tournament’s MVP award.
During his career in MLS, he most notably completed two seasons of 18 goals, with FC Dallas in 2008, and with the New York Red Bulls in 2012. He was named to the MLS Best XI in 2008.
He played in the German second division with 1860 Munich, from 2009 to 2011, and then in the English second division with Plymouth Argyle, in 2010.
Cooper began his career with the prestigious English club Manchester United. He was then loaned to Oldham Athletic, in League One, scoring three goals in five games.
At the international level, Cooper scored four goals in 10 games with the US national team, finding his first goal in his first game on January 20, 2007, against Denmark. He participated in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup and qualification matches for the 2010 World Cup.
Cooper will fly to Montreal on Monday and will be training with the team on Tuesday.
