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Timbers purchase contract of designated player Valeri

MLS: Chivas USA at Portland Timbers

By JUSTIN FERGUSON

One of the key players in the Portland Timbers’ rapid rise this season has been officially signed to the club on a permanent basis.

On Tuesday, the Timbers announced that designated player Diego Valeri’s contract had been purchased from Argentinian side Club Atlético Lanús. The midfielder has signed a multi-year contract with the Timbers, the details to which were not disclosed per league policy.

The 27-year-old Valeri, who was loaned to Portland in January, has four goals and eight assists so far in the 2013 season. He was named to the inactive list of MLS All-Stars last week, joining teammates Donovan Ricketts, Rodney Wallace and gameday selection Will Johnson.

Valeri has appeared in 20 of the Timbers’ 22 matches in 2013, and he leads the league with three multi-assist matches. The Argentinian scored in his MLS debut, netting an opening goal in a wild 3-3 match with the New York Red Bulls.

What do you think of this news? Excited to see Valeri staying in Portland on a permanent basis? How do you think this will affect the rest of the Timbers’ season?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. My neighbor saw Valeri taking the driving test over at DMV in Portland about a week ago. Thought maybe this was a sign he was staying a while. Guess I should have posted this to start a rumor. But really glad this finally happened what with Merritt tweeting this a few weeks back.

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  2. These type player should be more focus for MLS teams : buy quality South American, so could get a big transfer in future.

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    • We have one better.

      Hie name is Christian Gomeh…wait! what year is this again? I can’t tell on account of my dizzines, constant neck pain from looking up the table for so long and pretty much unshakable low moral…oh it’s 2013?…Yep I wish we had a player of his quality too. [Sigh]

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  3. I like his offensive output. I like his playmaking ability. Until MLS or youth soccer produces more players who can play just like him MLS will sign more players like him. It would be cheaper to develope Diego Valeri’s type of game and other foreign player’s right here in the USA. The NCAA is not developing a Diego Valeri type of player.

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    • Neither is any MLS academy. Yedlin, Farrell, Powers, Zardes, and Brown have had no problem coming from college. The problem is much earlier in player development but keep blaming college while it continues to offer 200+ teams that will give young players playing time

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    • It was 3 million and I fully expect them to reimburse us since they pay DP transfer fees now. If they don’t I’d gladly like to sue for collusion(only partially serious about the last part.). 😉

      But for real, I love me some Diego version 2.0 and am stoked he’ll be around PDX for a while.

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      • We’ll officially refer to it now as “The Bank of MLS”. Garber is the sole teller. LA, NY, and now Seattle are the only clients.

    • Garber consulted the official MLS Magic 8 Ball:

      “Should MLS pay for Valeri’s contract?”
      *shakes 8 ball*
      “My sources say no”

      Sorry Timbers, try again.

      Reply

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