The 2016 MLS season is set to kick off in just a matter of days, and teams are finalizing their rosters and contracts before Sunday arrives. The Portland Timbers and Columbus Crew are preparing for a showdown after last season's championship match, but before they can get to Sunday, they are re-signing a few of their biggest stars to new contracts.
The Timbers are gearing up to defend their first MLS title. The team did not make many roster changes prior to the 2016 season, as they hope that they can simply build upon the success of last year. Part of that success was the breakout of Darlington Nagbe, who put his name on the map as an elite midfielder. Now, he is getting paid in return.
Portland has announced its signing of Nagbe to a new contract ahead of Sunday's kickoff match. The 25-year-old inked a new four-year contract. The salary has yet to be announced, but it is certain to be a pay raise from the $244,000 salary he was earning in 2015. Nagbe was critical to the Timbers' run at the title. He found a home in the midfield, and it even earned him a spot on the U.S. Men's National Team roster.
"Darlington really found a home in the middle last year and I think this year he's going to show that he's the best in the league in that role," Timbers coach Caleb Porter said. "He showed that last year once he made the move, and he will just keep getting better."
The Columbus Crew are also handing out contracts ahead of Sunday's match. The Crew has announced that they have re-signed Kei Kamara, who was last year's runner-up league MVP. The two sides had been battling over contract negotiations but agreed to a Designated Player contract that runs through 2018. This was not exactly the outcome that Kamara was fighting for, but it is a happy outcome for the two sides. Kamara led the league with 22 goals last year and was the primary reason that Columbus got to the MLS Cup.
"We are proud to be able to offer Kei a contract extension," Crew sporting director and head coach Gregg Berhalter said. "To me, he is a true success story in this League: a player who has worked his way up the ranks and now has earned a Designated Player contract following one of the most prolific goal-scoring seasons in MLS history last year."
The matchup between the Timbers and the Crew will be the highlight of Sunday's kickoff to the 2016 season. Both teams look poised to make runs at the Cup again this year, and having Nagbe and Kamara secured for the future will help.
