Coming off of a career season in 2014, Quincy Amarikwa has seen his playing time with the Chicago Fire dwindle in 2015 due to a surplus of attacking talent, and now he'll get a fresh start.
Amarikwa was traded on Friday from Chicago to the San Jose Earthquakes, his first professional club, in exchange for defender Ty Harden.
The move addresses a need for each team, as Chicago currently rank 18th in MLS in defense (1.53 goals against average), while San Jose rank 16th in offense (1.07 goals per game).
After producing seven goals and four assists in his first five MLS seasons – with San Jose, Colorado, Toronto and Chicago – Amarikwa broke out with eight goals and five assists last season in 29 starts. But after Chicago brought in Designated Players David Accam and Shaun Maloney and forwards Kennedy Igboananike and Guly do Prado to join attackers Harry Shipp and Mike Magee, Amarikwa has started only seven of the club's first 15 games. He started only one of their last seven, assisting on the opening goal in the 3-1 loss at D.C. United on June 3.
"We know Quincy well and we are happy to bring him to San Jose," Earthquakes head coach Dominic Kinnear said in a club statement. "We think he will come here and help us as we head into a very busy and important part of the schedule."
Harden is re-united with Chicago head coach Frank Yallop, who coached him in San Jose in 2013. Now 31, Harden is in his eighth MLS season and played only 123 MLS minutes for the Earthquakes this year, notching a goal and an assist in the Avaya Stadium-opening 2-1 win against the Fire on March 22.
"Ty is a steady, dependable player who knows this league well," Yallop said in a club statement. "I've known Ty for a number of years. He's a solid veteran presence and will provide depth to our side as we enter the second half of the campaign."
