(Mike Lawrence – Sportsday Wire)
New York City FC placed Defender Chris Wingert on waivers on Saturday.
A native of Babylon, NY, Wingert was acquired in the 2014 Expansion Draft and played 2,169 minutes for the Club in 27 appearances.
New York City FC Sporting Director Claudio Reyna said “We’d like to thank Chris for his commitment and wish him the very best for the future. Chris made an impact in our inaugural season and made a considerable effort to connect with our supporters and the local communities in New York.”
In a team that was just starting out, Wingert provided tremendous leadership on the defense, and his absence was felt when he missed time due to various injuries.
Wingert, 33 years old, played at St. John’s University in Queens, NY, before joining the MLS in 2004.
Wingert’s career began with the Columbus Crew, where he played in 2004 and 2005. He then moved to the Colorado Rapids, where he played in 2006 and 2007.
It was in Real Salt Lake, where he played from 2007 to 2014, that he made his mark, including on their MLS Cup championship team in 2009.
Jason Kreis was his coach at Real Salt Lake and brought Wingert with him when he took over NYC FC.
Kreis was dismissed after NYC FC went 10-7-15 and missed the playoffs.
NYC FC has stockpiled defenders recently, including Ronald Matarrita and Frederic Brillant, who is a center back, the same position as Wingert.
