LAFC made a key move that may have ramifications on its roster later in the year.
LAFC on Monday announced that they had loaned forward Brian Rodriguez to UD Almeria, who play in Spain’s La Liga second division. The length of the loan carries through the remainder of the La Liga Segunda season, with the option for Almeria to make the deal permanent if Rodriguez impresses at Alemria.
Rodriguez was signed by LAFC from Uruguayan side Penarol as a young designated player in the Summer of 2019. Rodriguez occupied LAFC’s third designated player slot alongside Carlos Vela and fellow Uruguayan Diego Rossi and made an impact, appearing in 26 regular season games over the 2019 and 2020 MLS seasons as well as three MLS playoff games and four CONCACAF Champions League matches. During that time, Rodriguez had seven assists, two goals and was recognized by MLS as the second ranked player in the league’s annual ranking of the top players under 22 years old.
While it would seem odd that LAFC would loan a key player overseas with the start of training camps quickly approaching, the current circumstances surrounding MLS, let alone LAFC, actually make a little sense. The start of the MLS season, already pushed back away from its traditional start in the first week of March to April as a result of the ongoing struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic, could be in further jeopardy if the league and the players union are unable to successfully negotiate a Collective Bargaining Agreement by Thursday. Such a scenario could cause the league to impose a lockout, which could further delay the start of the season. The possibility of a work stoppage in MLS must have made a loan overseas an attractive option for Rodriguez, who will have the opportunity to play in matches and thus maintain fitness.
Almeria has spent most of its existence in La Liga’s second division. The club actually began as Club de Futbol Almeria in 1989, but was renamed to Union Deportivo Almeria in 2001. UD Almeria was promoted to the first division for the 2007-2008 season, and in that season finished eighth. UD Almeria spent three more seasons in La Liga before being relegated in 2011, though that year, they reached the semifinals of the Copa Del Rey. Currently, UD Almeria sits in fourth place in the Segunda division. Like most second divisions, the top two finishers in the Segunda division earn automatic promotion to La Liga, while the third through sixth place finishers play in a playoff to decide the third team that gets promoted.
Almeria lies in Southeastern Spain, in the Andalusia region. Both the city and the region border the Mediterranean Sea opposite of the countries of Algeria and Morocco, mostly Morocco.
