FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution have acquired midfielder Tommy McNamara, $150,000 in 2020 allocation money, and $25,000 in 2021 allocation money from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for midfielder Wilfried Zahibo and a 2020 international roster slot, which will return to the Revolution on Jan. 1, 2021.
“We are pleased to acquire Tommy McNamara as a member of the New England Revolution. I’d also like to thank Wilfried Zahibo for his contributions to our club and wish him the very best with the Houston Dynamo,” said Sporting Director and Head Coach Bruce Arena. “Tommy is a veteran player in our league who can play in a number of positions in the midfield. He is an intelligent player who will add a different dimension to our roster, and we look forward to welcoming him to the Revolution.”
McNamara, 29, is currently in his seventh MLS season and second with the Dynamo, having totaled 37 regular season appearances and 17 starts in Houston since 2019. Last year, the midfielder set a career high with 33 appearances, making 15 starts, and scored two goals with three assists. For his MLS career, he owns 129 appearances, 89 starts, 16 goals, and 17 assists in league play, with one additional start in the 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs. McNamara has also made four appearances in Concacaf Champions League action, and four in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
The West Nyack, N.Y. native’s MLS career began with Chivas USA as the 20th-overall pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. He started six matches and scored one goal, which came in his MLS debut, but had his season cut short due to an injury. The following year, McNamara landed with New York City FC, where he tallied 13 goals and 14 assists from 2015-18. He enjoyed a career season in 2016, setting personal bests with 28 starts, five goals, and nine assists. During his tenure in the Bronx, he twice earned the club’s Player of the Month honors – in June 2015 and March 2016.
Following the 2018 campaign, McNamara was selected by Houston in the second round of the MLS Re-Entry Draft, signing with the Dynamo on Jan. 11, 2019. He went on to appear in 43 games across all competitions, including 33 regular season appearances last season with two goals and three assists.
As a college player, McNamara played four years at Brown University and was a first-team All-Ivy selection as a senior before enrolling at Clemson University in order to earn his master’s degree in applied economics. His team-high seven goals to go with eight assists helped the Tigers to an 11-7-3 record and berth in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. He played his high school soccer at the esteemed Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J.
Zahibo departs the Revolution after three seasons in New England. The French midfielder and 2018 MLS All-Star recorded 58 games played, 41 starts, five goals, and five assists with the Revolution, adding one postseason start.
The New England Revolution will resume the club’s 25th MLS season on Thursday, August 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET against the Philadelphia Union at Gillette Stadium. The match will air locally on NBC Sports Boston, and is also available on the radio at 98.5 The Sports Hub, with 1260 AM Nossa Radio USA providing Portuguese commentary.
TRANSACTION: New England Revolution acquire midfielder Tommy McNamara, $150,000 in 2020 allocation money, and $25,000 in 2021 allocation money from the Houston Dynamo on Aug. 17, 2020 in exchange for midfielder Wilfried Zahibo and a 2020 international roster slot, which will return to New England on Jan. 1, 2021.
Tommy McNamara
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-9
Weight: 170
Hometown: West Nyack, N.Y.
Date of Birth: 02/06/1991 (West Nyack, N.Y.)
Nationality: United States
Previous Club: Houston Dynamo
Acquired: Trade with Houston Dynamo on Aug. 17, 2020
Twitter: @Tommy_Mc15
