Real Salt Lake officially signed forward Dante Washington Friday afternoon. The nine-year veteran was released by the Columbus Crew three weeks ago, but the Crew still retained a portion of his rights.
To complete the transaction, RSL traded Columbus an undisclosed amount of cash for salary budget considerations. Washington will be eligible for today's match against his former team.
To free up a roster spot, Salt Lake waived midfielder Evan Whitfield, who had played in five of the team's eight games — though never as a starter.
Washington has been on trial with Real since Monday.
"I have been trying to figure out what I was going to do for three weeks, and the only options that I was looking at were Washington, D.C., and Salt Lake City," said Washington.
The 34-year old Washington has appeared in 161 career MLS games, with 111 starts entering the 2005 season prior to being released by the Crew three weeks ago. He spent the 2003 and 2004 seasons with the A-League Virginia Beach Mariners, scoring 35 goals, prior to returning to the Crew for its final 2004 season game against the Colorado Rapids on Oct. 16, 2004.
The three-time MLS All-Star selection has scored 52 regular-season goals and added five playoff goals during his career with both Columbus and the Dallas Burn, where he teamed with RSL captain Jason Kreis for three seasons.
"Dante Washington adds a different dimension to us on offense. His experience, size and speed provide us with a different approach in our attacking," said RSL coach John Ellinger.