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In 2014, playing for DC United, Luis Silva had his Pulp Fiction of seasons: he played 1,523 minutes, scored eleven goals, and notched four assists.
It’s the season by which all of his seasons will be measured. And while he might have some decent successes, put forth some functional numbers, it’s going to be really hard for him to ever quite match that 2014 run.
This season, he scored five goals over 810 minutes: a goal every 162 minutes. For a guy who started nine games and subbed in for 10 others, five goals over 19 matches is fair, if not good, contribution.
It doesn’t hold up to his 2014 season (which, let’s be honest, is exactly what we were all hoping for when we traded Álvaro Saborío for him in 2015), but he was a solid member of the team.
Yet it doesn’t feel like he’s going to be an integral piece moving forward. His option was declined, leaving him open for other clubs or renegotiation and a return to RSL. He’s on a base salary of $225,000. He’s not performing to that mark. That’s a lot of money for only five goals and 810 minutes.
For his skillset, RSL has stronger options: Rusnák as CAM, Beckerman and Kreilach in the midfield, Kreilach and Baird in that striker role, and reports of a potential new striker. He’s thirty, so his best years are probably behind him, though there is still potential for solid contributions to either RSL, another MLS club, or possibly in another league. He has the experience and ability to be a solid leader and contributor in USL (similar to Sebastian Velasquez).
We’ll be watching to see where he lands.