Columbus Crew SC today announced that it has acquired forward Jack McInerney from the Montreal Impact in exchange for its natural 2016 MLS SuperDraft Second Round selection. Per club and MLS policy, additional terms of the deal were not disclosed. At just 22 years old, McInerney’s 36 career MLS goals are tied for 22nd among all active players. Among that group of 24 players with at least 36 goals, McInerney is the youngest by nearly three full years. The 22-year-old turns 23 tomorrow, August 5; in Major League Soccer history, only one other player has scored more goals ahead of his 23rd birthday — former Columbus forward Stern John (44 goals).
McInerney joins a Crew SC side that enters the week in third place in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference and stands second in MLS in overall goals scored (36); tied for first in total shots (317); first in shots on goal (120) and assists (42); and tied for second in goals scored in the first 15 minutes of a match (six).
“We believe Jack McInerney is going to make an immediate impression on the club and feel that his qualities will help him assimilate easily into our system,” said Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. “He's a young player that possesses great timing with his movements and has a talent for scoring goals. His track record so far in this League has been outstanding, and we look forward to him contributing on the field for us.”
The forward, born in Chattanooga, Tennessee and from Alpharetta, Georgia, has made 138 MLS appearances all-time (87 starts). He was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Union seventh overall in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft and scored a career-best 12 tallies in his breakout 2013 season for Philadelphia. That year, he was named an MLS All-Star and earned a United States National Team senior call-up by Jürgen Klinsmann to participate in that summer's Gold Cup as part of the final 23-man roster.
In Montreal's run to the 2014-15 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League Final, McInerney scored three goals in five appearances (two starts), including goals in the second leg of both the Semifinal against Alajuelense and in the Final against Club America. As a member of the Impact, McInerney also helped the club win the 2014 Amway Canadian Championship. He finished as the tournament's leading scorer with three goals in four matches.
Internationally, McInerney has been called into the United States senior roster and previously earned caps for the U.S. Under-23, U-20 and U-17 sides, including 11 goals in 15 matches played with the U-17s. He was named to the United States' 23-man roster with the senior squad for the Group Stage of the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where he was a teammate of Crew SC Captain and defender Michael Parkhurst.
Crew SC next plays on Saturday, August 8 when it visits the Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado (9:00 p.m. ET / Time Warner Cable SportsChannel, CD102.5 FM, 103.1 FM La Mega).
