Today the Philadelphia Union announced they’ve signed 28-year old GK Rais M’Bolhi, who starred for Algeria in both the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. This is a great signing for both the Union and Major League Soccer as another young player with World Cup experience joins the league. M’Bolhi joins MLS in his prime after struggling to find stability at the club level. He’s played for nine different clubs throughout France, Scotland, Greece, Japan, Russia, and Bulgaria over his 11-year career.



His club career is not indicative of him as a player though, as he has showcased his abilities on the international stage in two World Cups. M’Bolhi, presumed to become the Union’s starting goalkeeper once he is eligible to play.



Signing M’Bolhi is a great move for the Union, but in doing so they have caused quite the controversy. Zac MacMath has started all 21 MLS league games so far this season, while Andre Blake, the #1 overall pick of the 2014 MLS Draft, has watched from the bench. Drafting Blake was a controversy in itself, and the Union’s Front Office have added to that in acquiring M’Bolhi.



What will happen with MacMath and Blake? Do they trade one of them? Which one do they trade?



I envision the Union holding on to Blake, and shipping MacMath off to another team within the league. Blake arguably has bigger value in the short-term than MacMath as he is signed to a Generation Adidas contract. While being signed to a GA contract, Blake is extremely vital to the Union because he’s immune to being selected in any Expansion Draft and his contract does not count against the team’s salary cap.



The Portland Timbers, Montreal Impact, New York City FC, and Orlando City SC could be the most likely suitors. Portland has a solid goalkeeper in Donovan Ricketts, but he’s 37 years old and will be moving on soon. Montreal is approaching a similar situation as Troy Perkins is 33 years old. Lastly, both New York City and Orlando are actively building their MLS rosters in preparation for their inaugural seasons in 2015. A young, but experienced player such as MacMath would be a great addition to any of these teams.



MacMath will likely be traded, and it will very interesting to see what develops in the coming weeks.