ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico United announced on Friday the club had acquired midfielder Dayonn Harris via transfer from fellow USL Championship club the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.

Harris has spent the past three seasons with Tampa Bay, where he recorded six goals and six assists in 77 appearances, logging 3,198 minutes of action. The 26-year-old made 28 appearances this past campaign, including 14 starts, while primarily being used as an option off the bench during his overall tenure with the Rowdies.

Prior to joining Tampa Bay, Harris competed for Real Monarchs SLC during the abbreviated 2020 USL Championship season, where he recorded three assists in 14 appearances after being selected with the No. 20 pick of the 2020 Major League Soccer SuperDraft by Real Salt Lake.

A native of Milton, Ontario, the Canadian competed in League1 Ontario for Vaughan Azzurri while also playing collegiately at Penn State University and the University of Connecticut prior to his professional career.

Analysis

Dayonn Harris has regularly shown promise as a spark off the bench during his time with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, averaging 1.58 chances created/90 minutes during his three seasons with the side. Now he’ll be hoping his move to New Mexico offers a chance at more regular starting minutes and with it the opportunity to raise his overall numbers in the league.

Harris’ speed on the right side offers United Head Coach Eric Quill a player who can stretch the field in attack, while his 1.62 completed dribbles/90 minutes show potential to beat opposing defenders on the ball and produce danger in the attacking third for New Mexico this season.