Columbus Crew SC today announced that the club has acquired allocation money from New York City FC – which joins Major League Soccer in 2015 – in exchange for defender Josh Williams. The transaction was executed during today’s MLS Half-Day Trade Window ahead of Wednesday’s MLS Expansion Draft. Per club and MLS policy, additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.



“Josh has been a positive influence for this club on and off the field. Unfortunately, the Expansion Draft is designed to provide new teams with quality players from within the League, especially from teams with as many valuable, young players as us,” said Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. “We assessed our risks heading into this week’s Draft and determined that this proactive move allowed us to place Josh in an organization where he can flourish while also minimizing the Draft’s impact on the club’s offseason plans.”



Williams made 71 appearances – including 65 starts – in his tenure with the Black & Gold after joining the club in September of 2010. During his time in Columbus, he scored four goals and recorded four assists. In 2012, Williams set a career best in appearances (30), starts (27) and assists (3).



TRANSACTION: Columbus Crew SC acquires allocation money from New York City FC in exchange for defender Josh Williams.