When the New York Red Bulls acquired Dwayne De Rosario back in April, he was seen as the missing piece to a championship puzzle. Less than three months later, the Red Bulls have decided the piece didn't fit. On Monday, they traded him to D.C. United for young central midfielder Dax McCarty.

On balance, the trade looks lopsided, what with De Rosario considered one of the league’s best attacking players, and a multiple MLS Cup winner while McCarty is a young midfielder who has struggled for playing time on a middle-of-the-pack D.C. United side.

But Ives Galarcep explains that a closer look reveals that the trade should help give the Red Bulls the flexibility, both with cap space and an international player slot freed up by the departure of De Rosario, to address other issues on the team.

The Red Bulls’ most pressing need is in goal, where goalkeepers Bouna Coundoul and Greg Sutton have both struggled considerably. With a designated player slot available, the Red Bulls could be tempted to find an impact goalkeeper. Perhaps a player like U.S. national team goalkeeper and free agent Marcus Hahnemann.