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R.I. native Nico Colaluca was obtained by the Revolution on Wednesday. |
The move is a swap of former first-round draft picks, with Valentino selected by the Revs with the 13th overall pick in 2008 and Colaluca taken by the Rapids sixth overall the year before. Colaluca, who hails from Coventry, R.I. and played his high school soccer Providence�s La Salle Academy, trained with the Revs before the draft in 2007.
Colaluca is expected to join the Revolution later this week and will be available for the match against Chicago Saturday.
�We�re pleased to bring Nico into the team,� Revolution Vice President of Player Personnel Michael Burns said in a statement. �When we spoke with him earlier today, he was ecstatic to be coming home. We�ll look forward to getting him into training and integrating him into the team.�
The move signals the end of the Valentino era. The Revs drafted him out of the University of San Francisco with the thought that the big defender would anchor the club�s backline for years to come.
It didn�t pan out that way, as Valentino never made an MLS appearance. He did, however, make four professional appearances as a rookie last season, starting all three of the Revs� matches in the U.S. Open Cup, and making a substitute appearance against Joe Public FC in the CONCACAF Champions League.
�Rob has been a great team player for us, but we felt he would benefit from the opportunity with another team,� Burns said. �We wish him the best and thank him for everything he�s given to the Revolution in the last year and a half.�
Colaluca, in his third season in MLS, has made four MLS appearances in his career, all coming in his rookie season. The University of Virginia product is also a former member of the U.S. youth national and Under-20 teams.
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