WASHINGTON — D.C. United added some more Canadian content Tuesday by acquiring defender Kofi Opare from the Los Angeles Galaxy.
The two MLS teams also traded allocation rankings while D.C. United picked up the Galaxy’s 2015 second-round draft pick. Los Angeles moves to third in the allocation order, behind Columbus and Dallas.
Born in Ghana to Ghanaian parents, Opare was one when the family left for South Africa. They spent 10 years there before heading to the U.S.
Opare lived four years in New Jersey before the family settled in Niagara Falls, where he attended St. Paul Catholic High School. He played for the St. Catharines Concord Gunners, winning the Ontario Cup in 2007-2008 and helped Ontario to a fourth-place finish at the Canadian club national championships in 2007.
"We are pleased to have acquired a smart, young defender in Kofi who has a very big upside, as well as securing a 2015 second round SuperDraft pick," D.C. United GM Dave Kasper said in a release. "This is an important move for us to make at this time to add depth to our squad as we enter the second half of the MLS season and the CONCACAF Champion’s League group stage. We welcome Kofi to the D.C. United family."
Canadian defender Nana Attakora and midfielder Kyle Porter are already on the D.C. roster.
The 23-year-old Opare was a second-round selection of the Galaxy in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft after spending four seasons at the University of Michigan.
He has made six appearances for the Galaxy this season, including five starts.
Opare is eligible to play for the Canadian, Ghanaian and U.S. national teams.
