Fabián Espíndola was perhaps DC United's most important player last year, and he's getting rewarded for it.
On Thursday morning, the club announced that the Argentine forward had his option extended and, "he now has Designated Player status." He becomes D.C. United's second DP after Eddie Johnson.
The 29-year-old Espíndola is entering his second season with the club after a 2014 campaign in which he hit for MLS career- and team-best totals in goals (11) and assists (9) as DC finished atop the Eastern Conference.
"Fabián is coming off his best year in MLS last season and he deserves to be a Designated Player,” DC United GM Dave Kasper said in a club statement. “He is in the prime of his career, and we look forward to his future contributions to our club.”
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After six seasons with Real Salt Lake (2007-2012) and one with the New York Red Bulls (2013), Espíndola was picked up by DC in Stage 2 of the 2013 MLS Re-Entry Draft and quickly became an integral part of the club. He is one of only four MLS players with at least nine goals in each of the last four seasons (Landon Donovan, Thierry Henry, Chris Wondolowski).
DC will be counting on Espíndola on multiple competitive fronts this year. Before they open their 2015 MLS regular season against the Montreal Impact on March 7 (Espíndola is suspended for the first six league games following a red card for violent conduct in the 2014 playoffs), United will be busy against Costa Rican club Alajuelense in a CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series on Feb. 26 and March 4.
