The Colorado Rapids announced Thursday the acquisition of midfielder Luis Gil and $100,000 of Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) from Orlando City SC in exchange for midfielder Dillon Powers.
“We are very excited to welcome Luis to the Club,” Rapids Sporting Director and Interim General Manager Pádraig Smith said in a statement. “We’re pleased to be able to bring in a creative, forward-thinking midfielder like Luis who can integrate quickly and add depth to our attacking group.”
Gil, 23, returned to Major League Soccer on a season-long loan from LigaMX club Querétaro Fútbol Club. This season, Gil appeared in 17 contests for the Lions, with six of those coming from the start.
During his time in LigaMX, Gil saw action in 10 contests for Querétaro, while helping Los Gallos Blancos win the 2016 Copa MX.
Prior to joining Querétaro, Gil spent six seasons with Real Salt Lake, amassing 134 regular season matches and 11 postseason contests. In all, Gil has made 151 MLS appearances (95 starts) with 11 goals and 9 assists.
Internationally, Gil was a mainstay with the U.S. youth national teams, tallying 15 goals in 61 caps, while also representing the U.S. at the U-17 and U-20 FIFA World Cups. At the senior level, Gil has made two appearances, with his debut taking place on February 1, 2014.
Leaving the Rapids is midfielder Dillon Powers. Since his selection in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft, Powers appeared in 136 regular season matches for the Club, with 116 of those coming from the start.
“For the past five years, Dillon has played an important role in the development of our Club, both on and off-the-field,” added Smith. “His service will not be forgotten and on behalf of everyone here at the club, we wish him nothing but the best as he begins this new chapter of his career.”
