Sam Vines making splash move to Royal Antwerp
Sam Vines transferring to Belgium
Fresh off a solid CONCACAF Gold Cup, United States international Sam Vines is on the move, heading to Belgium to join Royal Antwerp. The Colorado Rapids made official the move of the left back on Thursday afternoon.
Royal Antwerp finished third in the Belgium top flite last year and qualified for a Europa League spot for this year’s edition of the tournament.
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Vines debuted with the United States national team in July, playing 415 minutes across five matches and scoring a goal as the United States won the Gold Cup. He’s been a regular with the Rapids as well over the last three MLS seasons.
“Sam has proven himself to be one of the top young players in MLS and this is the right moment for both him and the club to take this step,” Colorado Rapids general manager Pádraig Smith said in a statement released by the club on Thursday afternoon.
“His career progression and success at both club and international level is a testament to the investment our club has made in developing young talent and our ‘Drive to Youth’ philosophy. This philosophy is the foundation on which we will continue our march to consistently compete for trophies and we believe Sam’s journey can be a positive example for the next generation of young players in Colorado.
“We are incredibly proud of Sam and the player he has developed into, both with our club and with the U.S. Men’s National Team and wish him all the best in this next chapter of his career. We know he will make himself, his family and Colorado proud.”
Sam Vines the player
In making the move to Europe, Sam Vines brings an intriguing skillset. He moves forward into space and overlaps well, passing through lines and cutting into the final attacking third with precision. Vines is also a good, individual defender who wins his individual battles and plays angles well.
Vines has been a major reason why the Rapids have done so well this year and are a significant player in the playoff conversation.
Since making his MLS debut late in the 2018 season, Vines has played 53 matches (49 starts) with two goals and four assists across 4,533 minutes played during that stretch.