LAFC made a major move to upgrade its backline on Thursday, as they acquired Ryan Hollingshead from FC Dallas. In return, LAFC will send Marco Farfan to Dallas.
“Ryan is not only known as one of the most versatile and valuable players in MLS but also as a great person and leader,” LAFC Co-President & General Manager John Thorrington said. “For these reasons, we are incredibly excited to welcome Ryan, his wife Taylor, and their family to LAFC. We also appreciate what Marco has meant to the club during his time here, which makes the moment bittersweet for us. He is a class act both on and off the field and we wish him all the best in Dallas.”
Hollingshead is no stranger to Los Angeles. Hollingshead played collegiately for UCLA from 2009-2012. Hollingshead was drafted by FC Dallas in the second round (20th overall) of the 2013 MLS Superdraft. Hollingshead however chose not to sign with Dallas that year, instead opting to help his brother build a church in his hometown of Sacramento. Hollingshead eventually signed with Dallas on December 9, 2013 and he became a staple on the Dallas backline, making 193 appearances. In January of 2017, Hollingshead was struck by an oncoming vehicle while helping a stranded motorist. Hollingshead suffered three broken vertebrae in his neck, and missed the start of the 2017 season as a result. Hollingshead ultimately recovered and returned to make 18 appearances that season, earning him MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year.
Farfan began his career with the Portland Timbers in 2016 and played in Portland until 2020, a stretch in which he made 34 appearances and shuffled between the Timbers and its USL team, Portland Timbers 2. Farfan was traded for LAFC in December of 2020 and made 29 appearances for LAFC in 2021.
