D.C. United has signed U.S. national team veteran Earnie Stewart with one of its two allocations.
Dallas was the other team that expressed interest in signing Stewart, but United had first crack at him because of its allocations.
Stewart, the only player to start at least one game for the United States in the last three World Cups, has spent the last 14 seasons in the Netherlands with VV Venlo (1998-90), Willem II (1990-96) and NAC (1996-2002).
Faced with financial difficulties, NAC granted a free transfer to Stewart in December so he can his professional career in the United States.
Stewart's 111 goals scored during his Dutch career stands as the record for most goals by an international-based U.S. player.
''My wife and I truly believe that the Washington, D.C., area is a great place for our family to be,'' added Stewart. ''We look forward to seeing what the American lifestyle is like. I am very excited to make this move to a class organization like D.C. United and Major League Soccer. In addition, coming to MLS is something I've always wanted to do. The United States is my home, even though I've been away since my youth. Since the U.S. performance at the World Cup last summer, Europeans have taken notice of American soccer and MLS after ignoring us for years. I've always felt that MLS would be a great league — some took a wait-and-see attitude early on, and decided in year four or five that MLS was real — but I knew from the beginning that it would be a great league and I would come home. Here I am.''