Trade: Blues send Cuellar to Seattle for Noyola

In an exchange of Mexican national team players, FC Kansas City has traded forward Renae Cuellar and a third round pick in the 2014 college draft to the Seattle Reign for Teresa Noyola and a second round pick. Additionally FC Kansas City receives the rights to defender Nikki Krzysik from the Seattle Reign.

Cuellar, the NWSL's first goal scorer has made 11 appearances for Kansas City, starting eight times. She is currently seventh in scoring with five goals, her last goal came in her last start, a 3-1 loss to Chicago.

Noyola has started eight games for the Reign playing 758 minutes in 11 total appearances for the club. Teresa has seven caps for the Mexican National team. Noyola played for Stanford University and was the 2011 Herrmann Trophy award winner as Division I College Soccer's best female player.

"Teresa (Noyola) is a great player. Our game is designed to build through the midfield and she gives us another great asset in that area," said Kansas City Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski via press release. "I think this move is to the benefit of all parties involved."

A closer look

Cuellar was injured in Portland on June 6^th when Rachel Buehler took her down in the box and has seen limited playing time since with only one start. FC Kansas City has gone 4-0-1 when Cuellar did not start and are 0-3 in her last three starts. While wins and losses cannot and should not be pinned on any one player, FC Kansas City has played better and created more opportunities with Melissa Henderson starting up top.

FC Kansas City has built through the middle better without Cuellar starting. Henderson tends to hold the ball up more, allowing Cheney, Tymrak, and others to join in the attack. Once Cuellar received the ball, she normally attacked without waiting for any buildup, often creating chances but without any support yet.

Noyola brings another player who can play multiple roles, in the middle, out wide or up top.

Picking up Tiffany Cameron after she was released from Seattle last week, FC Kansas City still has a wealth of forwards that can play multiple styles and roles, although none with quite the nose for goal that Cuellar often exhibited.

Nikki Krzysik

Krzysik could in the long run be the steal of this trade. She was a star defender in the WPS with Chicago and Philadelphia. Seattle selected her with their first round pick in the NWSL Supplemental draft but she declined for personal reasons to play in the NWSL this year. Cuellar may go on to mature and score goals for Seattle, Noyola play a ton of minutes for Kansas City but if Krzysik decides to play with FC Kansas City next year, it will give them the depth at central defender that they have lacked this year. It would also allow Lauren Sesselman to play her natural position.

Many people thought that Casey Loyd would not play in the NWSL this year when FC Kansas City took her in the late rounds andwere surprised when she said she would. It has been limited time and mostly when the Blues were shorthanded but she did play and provided some key minutes.