Orlando City Acquires Dillon Powers from Colorado Rapids for Luis Gil

Orlando City finalized a deal just before last night’s summer transfer window deadline to acquire midfielder Dillon Powers from the Colorado Rapids in exchange for Luis Gil, as first reported by Goal.com’s Ives Galarcep.

The Orlando Sentinel’s Alicia DelGallo reported final details of the deal, which includes each team retaining its former player’s cap hit for the remainder of 2017. In addition, Colorado will essentially pay the $100,000 in allocation money owed to Real Salt Lake by the Lions for Gil’s rights — a payment that was to be made in 2018.

“Dillon is a creative midfielder who has proven himself in this league over the past four seasons,” Orlando City general manager Niki Budalic said. “We are pleased to add more depth to our midfield with this trade and look forward to integrating Dillon into the team.”

Powers, the 2013 MLS Rookie of the Year saw his production drop off in 2016, with just one goal and four assists in 29 games — 24 of which were starts — and hasn’t produced much for the struggling Rapids this season either, with no goals and just one assist through 15 appearances. He’s only started one game since June 3.

After a strong 2015 campaign, Powers flirted with a potential move out of MLS, going on a trial stint with Championship side Reading FC in England during the off-season. Nothing, obviously, came of it.

At his peak, Powers was among the strongest creative midfielders in MLS, playing the No. 10 role for Colorado. He’s strong in passing with splitting balls through defenses to catch forwards on runs.

In 136 career MLS games (116 starts), Powers has 14 goals and 26 assists, and has three career playoff appearances (two starts). By comparison, Gil has appeared in 151 games (95 starts), scoring 11 goals with nine assists. Gil has made 11 appearances (six starts) in the MLS postseason.

If Jason Kreis can find a way to get Powers, who is making $325,000 in guaranteed compensation this season according to the MLS Players’ Union, back into his early career form, it could be a strong pick-up for the Lions and their search for service for Cyle Larin and Dom Dwyer.

And here’s something fun: in 2014, MLSSoccer.com made a scouting report video on Powers and compared him to, wait for it…Luis Gil!

Gil joined Orlando City on loan from Liga MX's Queretaro in April after the Lions acquired his rights from Real Salt Lake, where he played under Kreis, for $100,000 in Targeted Allocation Money. He has appeared in 17 games this season for the Lions without a goal or assist, with 10 shots (seven on target).