MLS Moves: Crew re-acquires Waylon Francis after Valenzuela injury

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Feb 6, 2019

Waylon Francis is headed back to Columbus, where he played four MLS seasons after the Crew traded for him following the knee injury suffered by 20-year-old left back Milton Valenzuela, its Young Designated Player.

Francis, who played for Costa Rica in its 2-0 loss to the USA on Saturday, was acquired from Seattle in exchange for $50,000 in General Allocation Money.

He made just 11 appearances for the Sounders after playing 94 regular-season games over four seasons in Columbus. He was an MLS All-Star in 2015 when the Crew reached MLS Cup.

“We are pleased to welcome Waylon back to the Club,” said Crew SC president Tim Bezbatchenko. “In Waylon, we gain a talented, MLS veteran who adds strong versatility and who knows what it takes to compete in this League as well as at the national team level. His familiarity with the organization will be beneficial as we re-incorporate him back into this roster and we look forward to his contributions as we prepare for the upcoming season.”

Francis, 28, was a member of the Costa Rican squad that reached the quarterfinals of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.