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Houston acquires Maidana, Wenger in trade with Philadelphia

Reuters

The Houston Dynamo have acquired midfielder Cristian Maidana and forward Andrew Wenger from the Philadelphia Union, in exchange for financial considerations and a first-round pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft.

The Dynamo missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season in 2015, and began looking for a boost in attack. Maidana tallied 15 assists last season, tied for second in MLS, while Wenger, the first overall selection in the 2012 draft, offers pace and potential.

(Courtesy: Houston Dynamo)

In exchange, the Union get both general and targeted allocation money - which can alleviate spending under the salary cap - along with the Dynamo's first-round pick (currently at No. 6) in next year's draft.

If Houston acquires a higher pick, it will go to Philadelphia, which already has the No. 3 selection.

"At the conclusion of last season we had two specific goals we wanted to address this offseason," said Dynamo general manager Matt Jordan in a statement. "First, we felt it was important to add more creativity and quality in the final third of the field. Second, we wanted more dynamic pace and power in the wide areas. The acquisition of these two players strengthens our group and helps us meet these objectives in preparation for next season."

Maidana, 28, signed with the Union as a designated player in 2014 after playing in Argentina, Mexico, Spain, and Russia.

Wenger, 24, earned plaudits during his amateur career, winning the Hermann Trophy in 2011 as the nation's best college player.

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