Red Bulls bring back Dane Richards, waive Armando

The New York Red Bulls signed midfielder Dane Richards and waived defender Armando on Saturday.

The New York Red Bulls signed midfielder Dane Richards and waived defender Armando, the club announced on Saturday.

Richards, 31, played for the Red Bulls from 2007-12 after New York drafted him out of Clemson in 2007. He was traded to the Vancouver Whitecaps in the summer of 2012 for forward Sebastian Le Toux and allocation money.

After the 2012 season, Richards joined English Championship side Burnley for one match before going on loan to Bodø/Glimt in the Norwegian first division.

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[daily_cut.mls]In his five-plus MLS seasons, Richards—a Montego Bay, Jamaica native—made the second-most regular-season appearances in Red Bulls history (147) and scored 21 goals with 26 assists.

"Dane came into camp ready," Red Bulls head coach Jesse Marsch said in a release. "This fan base knows what he can do on the field,, but in talking with Dane he's shown that he has matured and his understanding of the game has improved. We're still figuring out exactly how he fits into this team, but we think he can be a factor over the course of the season."

Richards has appeared in 45 appearances for the Jamaican men's national team, first as an 18-year-old in 2002.

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Armando made 19 appearances (14 starts) for the Red Bulls last season. He was acquired last January after previously playing with Cordoba in the Spanish second division, Mexican side Veracruz and FC Barcelona's B team.

The Red Bulls open their season Sunday against Sporting KC in Kansas City.

- Mike Fiammetta