Red Bulls Acquire Le Toux, Send Richards to Whitecaps The French flavor at Red Bull Arena became a little more savory Friday when the Red Bulls acquired the dynamic Sebastien Le Toux from the Vancouver Whitecaps for Dane Richards and what Major League Soccer calls allocation money. Add Le Toux, 28, a native of Mont-Saint-Aignan France, to the star striker Thierry Henry and the coming Trophee des Champion game between Lyon and Montpellier at the stadium in Harrison, N.J., on July 28. Le Toux is also a dead ringer for the club's striker Kenny Cooper. "Sebastien is one of the premier attacking players in the league and someone who we have admired for a long time - he will be able to play a number of different positions and will be an important piece for us as we challenge for the M.L.S. Cup this year," the Red Bulls General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler said in a statement. We also want to wish Dane the best of luck in Vancouver. He has been a great player for our club and it was a difficult decision to trade someone of his quality. The move for Le Toux, which could be called a surprise, comes as rumors about a third designated player have been swirling around the Red Bulls. The conversation has included players like Michael Ballack, Stephen Ireland, Juan Roman Riquelme and nearly every other aging and high-profile star from Europe or South America who might be looking for employment. Le Toux has played in the United States since 2008, when he joined the Seattle Sounders when the club played in the United Soccer Leagues First Division. He stayed with the Sounders when they moved up to M.L.S., but was left unprotected in the expansion draft to stock the Philadelphia Union. Le Toux, a tireless runner, had two standout seasons with the Union, recording 25 goals and 20 assists in 62 regular-season games. But when it came time to negotiate a new contract, the Union balked, and instead sent him to Vancouver for allocation money. Richards, who plays internationally for Jamaica, was drafted by the Red Bulls, 19th over all, in the 2007 league draft. He has appeared in 147 regular-season matches for the club. Richards, usually playing on the right side as an attacking midfielder, is known for his speed. He is also known for a wretched first touch and a proclivity for sending poor crosses to the middle of the field. More often than not, his crossing passes sailed over the end line. Corner Kick What do you think of the trade? From here, the Goal blog gives it a thumbs up. Do you still think the Red Bulls will pursue a third designated player? Should it be an aging star or a young player on the rise?