Simon Elliott, a New Zealander who played college ball at Stanford University, has become the latest MLS player to move to the English Premier League.
Elliott, 31, joins Fulham after two seasons with Columbus, which he joined after a five-year stint with the Los Angeles Galaxy that included winning the 2002 MLS title.
At 14th place Fulham, the defensive midfielder will join American striker Brian McBride, who also moved from Columbus to the EPL, and Carlos Bocanegra, formerly of the Chicago Fire.
Other former MLS players currently in the English Premier League are Americans Brad Friedel (Blackburn) and Tim Howard (Manchester United), and New Zealander Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn) and South African Shaun Bartlett (Charlton).
''It's a compliment to the level of play in Major League Soccer that English Premier League clubs continue to look to MLS for talent,'' said agent Lyle Yorks of Proactive Sports Management, whose clients include Elliott, Friedel, Bocanegra, McBride, Nelsen and Claudio Reyna (Manchester City).