Transfer Tracker:Trade
UPDATE(9/28/20, 12:55 pm ET): The Vancouver Whitecaps confirmed on Monday that they had acquired goalkeeper Evan Bush from the Montreal Impact in exchange for a natural third-round selection in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft.
“Due to the uncertainty around our goalkeeper position, this is a move we needed to make,” said Axel Schuster, Whitecaps FC sporting director and chief executive officer, in a team release. “Max Crepeau is still a few weeks away from returning to full training and Thomas Hasal is out indefinitely. We explored a number of possibilities and Evan Bush is an experienced professional who will provide us another strong option in net along with Bryan Meredith.”
From their side, the Impact said that they were more than content with their current roster of goalkeeper.
“We made this trade because we are happy with the work from our three goalkeepers, Clément Diop, James Pantemis and Jonathan Sirois,” said the Montreal Impact sporting director Olivier Renard. "We want to thank Evan for the ten seasons he played in Montreal and for his great professionalism.”
ORIGINAL REPORT (9/27/20):
TSN report that Montreal veteran goalkeeper Evan Bush will be traded to Vancouver.
Prior to the kickoff of the Vancouver-Portland Week 14 match, TSN's Kristian Jack shared the news on air and reports continued to trickle in on Sunday night:
Bush, who is in his 9th season with Montreal, hasn't started a match for new Impact head coach Thierry Henry, who has relied on Clement Diop as his No. 1. Henry told media after their 4-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls that Bush was kept out of the lineup due to an impending trade.
Following Vancouver's 1-0 loss to the Portland Timbers later on Saturday evening, 'Caps head coach Marc Dos Santos also confirmed the trade.
“It's correct. It's only details,” said Dos Santos. “IWe can't play with fire only having two goalkeepers right now, because there's big chances and it's very, very difficult that we will see Thomas and Max this season again so it's difficult. The chances are extremely slim so we can’t be playing with fire. That's all.”
Vancouver are in need of a goalkeeper with their most recent starting goalkeeper, 21-year-old academy product Thomas Hasal, out injured. Hasal was the third-string goalkeeper, but he won the starting job after starter Maxime Crepeau and backup Bryan Meredith were unavailable during the MLS is Back Tournament in July.
Hasal suffered an apparent head injury in a win against Real Salt Lake on September 19 and Meredith, who hadn't played back-to-back games since 2012, has filled in since.
