MLS Microwave: December 16th, 2025

After going into hibernation for about a year, our slightly featured series the MLS Microwave is back!

For the uninitiated (most of you), the Microwave is a style I use to break down things that don't require a full post by themselves. Not unlike that leftover soup or previously grilled chicken you just toss in the microwave to get it hot, these stories are useful but not time consuming.

Beep beep let's open the door and get these piping hot MLS stories!

FC Dallas

FC Dallas announces the signing of midfielder Ran Binyamin from Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C.

Let's go to the club's press release for more information:

FC Dallas has acquired midfielder Ran Binyamin via transfer from Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C. He has signed a U22 Initiative contract through the 2028-29 Major League Soccer season with club options for the 2029-30 and 2030-31 seasons. Binyamin will occupy an international roster slot, pending receipt of his P-1 visa and International Transfer Certificate.

Binyamin joins FC Dallas after spending the last three years with Hapoel where he made 85 appearances across all competitions. He made his professional debut on Aug. 20, 2022. During the 2024-25 season, Hapoel competed in the Liga Leumit, Israel’s second division, where Binyamin posted career highs in appearances (34), goals (7) and assists (7), helping the team win the Liga Leumit title and earn promotion.

Reaction: Per FC Dallas' social post, Binyamin is a "high motor, box to box beast." Transfermarkt has him listed as a central midfielder primarily, with time at defensive and attacking midfielder as well. His currently value per TM is around $352k USD, but at this time we don't have a concrete number on the fee. FWIW, 3rd Degree featured a tweet saying the fee is $1.6 million though the source is not stated.

There's not much to say about this because there's not much out there on this guy. He's a young player from a rarely covered league. There was a lot of cynicism when the deal was first reported last week, and in the long run it could be deserved. The best practice at the moment is patience. Binyamin costs almost nothing against the salary cap thanks to his U22 status, and if he can provide valuable midfield depth for a club that's needed it over the last couple of years even better.

What makes this signing curious is the club now has five U22 players, but are only allowed to have four. This means someone has to move off that status. For a refresher the current U22s in addition to Binyamin are:

• Patrickson
• Enes Sali
• Geovane Jesus
• Kaick

The easiest answer here is finding a suitor for Enes Sali. The Romanian hasn't made an impact since signing prior to 2024. In a time where the FO has more hits than misses, Sali represents a substantial miss as presently constituted. I could see him being sold back to the Saudi Pro League where he spent most of 2025 on loan. It'd also be unsurprising to see him just outright let go.

If the club wants to hold onto Sali, promoting Patrickson to a regular roster spot feels the next most logical move. The Ecuadorian became a regular down the stretch in the 5-2-3 playing underneath Petar Musa and Logan Farrington. While it's believed the club wants a high profile #10 again this winter, Patrickson has done enough to earn a senior spot if desired. Having him as the backup to whoever the new #10 is would create solid depth at the position.

FC Dallas adjacent

Toronto FC signs Walker Zimmerman to a contract

This comes from the Athletic's MLS insider Tom Bogert, who unless otherwise noted is the source for all these adjacent scoops. As of this writing Toronto hasn't announced the deal nor are contract details public, but Bogert went on to say that Zimmerman would NOT be a DP for TFC.

Reaction: I wrote about a potential Zimmerman return to FC Dallas recently, but despite being linked with their former center back Zimmerman heads to Toronto. This isn't a surprise; Andre Zanotta said at the end of season press conference they won't be signing a center back this winter.

Even so, if they could have gotten Zimmerman on a non-DP deal that feels like something worth doing. They didn't however, which probably means Zanotta's statement holds water. After all if they didn't sign the market's best CB with a previous club link, signing another else feels implausible.

Justin Haak remains out there though...

Dallas will see their former star, as they open the season against Toronto on February 21st at Toyota Stadium.

Colorado Rapids to acquire winger Dante Sealy from CF Montreal for around $2 million GAM

Let's go back to Bogert who reported this deal on Monday:

The Rapids are finalizing a deal to acquire Trinidad and Tobago international winger Dante Sealy from CF Montréal, sources briefed on the situation tell The Athletic. Montréal will receive around $2 million GAM from the Rapids, sources add.

Sealy, 22, was a highly rated graduate of FC Dallas’ academy and moved to Montréal ahead of the 2025 season, enjoying a breakout campaign with nine goals and two assists.

Colorado is among the most aggressive teams in the trade market, seeking young, domestic-based talent, and Sealy is the latest example. He previously spent two seasons with PSV’s second team as well, where he made 54 appearances.

Reaction: Um, wow.

Sealy's 2025 in Montreal was MUCH better than his return to Frisco post PSV loan. He looked much closer to the player Dallas envisioned him to be, and that's great. Sometimes players just need a change of scenery to find themselves.

Even so, $2 million in GAM feels a supreme overpay for a player with one good season for one of MLS' worst clubs. Colorado is undergoing another transition period after firing former manager Chris Armas and hiring Tottenham Hotspur assistant Matt Wells as his replacement. Sealy in theory will continue to get playing time, which should be good for his development.

However Commerce City is a place where a lot of player's careers tend to go sideways, specifically young US players. Just ask Sam Vines about that, same with Zack Steffen. Hopefully that doesn't happen for Sealy, who Dallas will now see twice in 2026 as a conference opponent.

New York Red Bulls sign defender Justin Che from Brøndby FC

Per Bogert:

The Red Bulls have signed American defender Justin Che from Brøndby, sources briefed on the deal tell The Athletic.

Che, 22, is a graduate of Dallas’ academy and a former U.S. youth international. He has bounced around in recent years, including stints in Germany with the youth setups at Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim.

The versatile defender, who can play right back or right centerback, gives the Red Bulls – and new manager Michael Bradley – options in defense.

Che made 15 MLS appearances for Dallas before heading to Europe. He made 24 appearances for Hoffenheim’s second team.

Reaction: This is gamble for the Red Bulls. Che doesn't have much recent playing time; FBRef has him playing 21 games for ADO Den Haag in the Netherland's second division in the 23-24 season, but just 11 games for Belgium second division squad Patro Eisden. In total dating back to 2020 with North Texas SC, Che has 75 professional games logged.

Che is a cautionary tale of how focusing too early on Europe can stunt your career. If Che had stayed with Dallas, he likely gets regular playing time in MLS potentially parlaying that into a move overseas. Instead he bounced around lower tiers in Europe making minimal impact before coming back to MLS anyway.

The upside for Che is he's still more than young enough to salvage his career. He turns in a couple strong seasons under new NYRB manager Michael Bradley, maybe finds his way back into the USMNT setup, and going back overseas is on the table. Development isn't linear, we all grow in different ways, and maybe this is just the journey Che must walk to find his bliss.

The former FC Dallas man will face his former club this year; the Toros take a trip to Sports Illustrated Stadium on May 2nd.