Minnesota United striker Luis Amarilla is headed back to the Ecuadorian league from which he came a year ago, leaving on Thursday for the Liga de Quito club in the country's Serie A.
The Loons acquired him last season on a one-year loan from Argentina team Velez Sarsfield and coach Adrian Heath repeatedly said his club wanted to bring the 25-year-old Paraguayan scorer back on a new arrangement.
Liga de Quito announced Thursday it obtained Amarilla on a one-year loan with an option to buy.
Amarilla promised Heath he'd score 25 in his first MLS season when the Loons announced him as one of their own last February at Allianz Field.
He scored three goals in 10 games in all competitions because he sustained an ankle injury that ended his season after a Sept. 2 game played and required surgery near season's end.
His absence leaves the Loons searching to fill that No. 9 striker position after the club traded Mason Toye to Montreal in October and probably won't bring back Kei Kamara or Aaron Schoenfeld.
