HE KNOWS THE WAY TO SAN JOSE Aloisi heads from LA to San Jose in trade
North Babylon, L.I. native Chris Aloisi has been traded from the Los Angeles Galaxy to the San Jose Earthquakes, along with forward Alejandro Moreno for defender Todd Dunivant and goalkeeper Steve Cronin, the league announced Wednesday.
The teams will also trade places in the first round of tomorrow’s 2005 MLS SuperDraft, with San Jose now owning the sixth pick in the first round, and the Galaxy receiving the fifth pick.
Aloisi, 24, is coming off a rookie campaign as a developmental player in which he started three games for the Galaxy, while also starting and playing the full 90 minutes in the Galaxy’s U.S. Open Cup match against the Minnesota Thunder. The Syracuse University product is a versatile defender who is capable of playing anywhere on the backline. He was originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2004 MLS SuperDraft after being a two-time All-Big East selection at Syracuse.
“Chris Aloisi has a bright future in MLS,” San Jose President and General Manager Alexi Lalas said. “But we are not only looking to the future, we expect him to make an immediate impact on the field this coming season.”
Moreno, 25, is a three-year veteran of MLS and continues to blossom into one of the top young attackers in the league. He has appeared in 61 games in his MLS career, scoring 12 goals while notching six assists for 30 career points. In 2004, he played in 25 games for the Galaxy and scored six goals, including his first hat trick on May 19 against D.C. United.
Moreno, who is called “el Tanquecito” (Lil’ Tank), has been a key performer in the postseason for the Galaxy, starting seven of nine games and notching two assists. As a rookie in 2002, he started in the MLS Cup Final against New England as the Galaxy captured their first MLS Cup. The Galaxy posted a 7-3 record in the playoffs during Moreno's time there.
“With the departures on our frontline, we needed to make a move to get a proven forward, and we think that Alejandro Moreno has proven himself the past three seasons in this league,” said Earthquakes coach Dominic Kinnear. “Over the years, he has impressed me when he has played against us and he has given us problems in those games. Now it will be nice to have him on our side.”
Moreno’s strong play in MLS has also earned him playing time with the Venezuelan National Team. He appeared in his first international match on February 18, 2004 against Australia and was part of the Venezuelan squad that shocked Uruguay in Montevideo, Uruguay on March 31, 2004 in World Cup Qualifying. Moreno is a green card holder and will not count as a senior international on the roster.
“Alejandro Moreno is just the type of player that our fans will appreciate,” Lalas said. “He combines Venezuelan flair with a down and dirty work ethic that makes him a great addition to our team. We look forward to watching el Tanquecito roll over the opposition in 2005.”
Todd Dunivant, 24, leaves San Jose after two seasons in which he played 46 games and recorded one goal and six assists. He appeared in 30 games as a rookie and broke the Quakes rookie scoring record with eight points.
Steve Cronin, who is a member of Project-40, did not appear in a game for the Quakes in 2004 after being selected in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft.
