TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
FC Cincinnati announced Monday it has signed 27-year-old defender Blake Smith to an MLS contract, after a season playing for FCC's USL side in 2018.
Smith returns to MLS after a stint with the Montreal Impact in 2013-14, and will occupy a domestic roster spot on Cincinnati's 2019 roster.
“Im very excited. It’s been a long journey to get back to MLS, but I have always had confidence in my abilities,” Smith said in a statement. “Fortunately, my move to Cincinnati has been a great experience thus far. The coaches believe in me enough to make the jump to the next level, so I’m very excited.”
Smith made 30 appearances at left back in 2018, including 28 starts, scored one goal and added four assists.
“I think Blake really showed his character with us last year,” Koch said in a statement. “There were a number of times when other players were fighting for his position and he never gave that position up. We saw tremendous growth in Blakes influence on the team as the season went along. I’m incredibly proud to take him along on this journey with us."
Smiths professional career began in 2013 when he was drafted by the Impact in the first round, eighth overall, of the 2013 MLS SuperDraft out of New Mexico. In 2013, he made a combined 18 appearances for the Impact, scoring two goals and adding an assist. The following year, he split time between the Impact and the NASL’s Indy Eleven, where he made a combined 16 appearances, including 10 starts.
Between his time in Montreal and Cincinnati, Smith also had a spell in Switzerland and a two-year stint with the NASL's Miami FC.