Photo by Tony Quinn/ISIphotos.com
The second go-around for Troy Perkins in Washington, D.C., ended up having a surprisingly short shelf life.
D.C. United traded the veteran goalkeeper to Portland on Friday in exchange for Timbers goalkeeper Steve Cronin and an undisclosed amount of allocation money.
A year ago, D.C. dealt Fred, allocation money and the seventh overall pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft to Philadelphia for the right to move up in the allocation order and select Perkins. The move didn't pan out quite how D.C. United had hoped it would.
The veteran goalkeeper had a tough season, playing in back of an injury-prone, ever-changing and vulnerable back line and eventually losing his starting job to 19-year-old Bill Hamid. He replaces Cronin as the only keeper currently on the Timbers' roster and figures to be the team's starting keeper entering its inaugural season in MLS. For Cronin, the move signals a return to D.C., where he spent a brief time on loan in 2009.
What do you think about the trade? Do you see Perkins bouncing back and starring for Portland? Think Hamid is ready for a full-time starting role?
Share your thoughts below.
I think he meant Meccas for racoons.
He’s not out of contract until the summer.
Marcus in Portland? Never.
Troll much?
booo!!!! I really hate this trade. Sorry Perkins, but you’ll never be as popular as the man you are replacing. Portland loves Cronin.
I assume your comment is ironic (DC United being the class of US soccer and RFK Stadium being a mecca or world football (guffaw).
If this Perkins saga has taught us anything, it’s that “coming home” isn’t always the answer.
Regarding Perkins, he was successful once in D.C. and was returning from playing in Europe and probably thought “Hey, I done this before.” Think again, bud! Sequels have a tendency to awry. Not all players are able to cope with the pressure that accompanies being a member of D.C.. United a.k.a. the class of U.S. soccer… of playing in one of the meccas of world football(R.F.K. Stadium). And in Perkins’ in D.C. redux, it showed.
With that being said, he will not have to deal with the aforementioned pressure in Siberia U.S. a.k.a. Portland. So I think he should do well.
Trying to dig their way out of a hole.
My god no wonder DCU sucked. Not a single pick in the first 3 rounds of the (2010) most stocked draft class ever.
Now they take their worst in season- should be 1st pick- into a draft with 2 expansion teams…… DOH
Perkins has always been with DC it is so weird to see him be traded for Portland. I believe he will start for Portland.
Separated at birth: Troy Perkins and David Schwimmer
+1…poor guy
Keep drinkin’ the Thirst Mutilator my Irish Brawndo drinking little buddy… LOL.
I’m a United fan, and that is still damn funny.
+1
Nope. We all daydreamed about getting Cronin’s “emergency” loan turned into a contract but there was no way the Timbers were going to let that happen. I think I remember folks talking about Cronin’s old lady wearing the pants and having a West Coast job….?
Did they break up?
😉
DC is sinking like a rock. Wow. It’s been so much fun to watch NY and DC change places in terms of quality.
I really hope this is what ends up happening.
I think Hamid is a future league MVP. Total stud
Supposedly, DCU will be on the hook for some of Perkins salary, at least salary budget wise. So, it’s not strictly about clearing cap room. Getting the allocation, tough, would help if they want to go beyond the cap to sign a DP.
Marcus will end up in Seattle next year, Keller is done after 2011 and MH is ready to come home. Just my hunch
+1
He can’t buy a break…or a defense.
If Perkins gets his mojo back, he would be a big upgrade. I don’t know what happened to him, but that wasn’t the same guy who went to Norway.
Yesh — except I can;t help thinking they could have and should have gotten Cronin a year ago, for less than Jack Mac.
Don’t be too surre about Pontius. Goff reports there have been trade talks regarding Simms and Pontius.
Perkins will be playing on the worst team in the league again..
It’s not like he has a no-trade clause.
It was annouced at the kit unveiling when Mrs. Cronin was walking the runway that she’s pregnant, so no. She’s doing less TV work (was on stuff in Cali, did a little up here) but she’ll be moving to DC with him i assume (or another move is happening). Sad to see him go….
Per Soccer Insider, Perkins was shocked but thought that all in all it was the best for him.
No Kasey Keller story?
Vancouver already used their allocation spot on demerit. And have 2 GK’s already. Nolly and Joe Cannon.
Fischy is spot on here.
1. DCU said they’re still pursuing a veteran defender and hope to add another forward. Thus…the allocation money.
2. It doesn’t clear up much cap room b/c this year DCU pays part of Perkins’ salary. But for down the road, Perkins makes $200k a year and I doubt that is the kind of money that Cronin makes.
3. Cronin enjoyed his time in DC and was extremely impressive. But he wanted to be on the West Coast to be with his S.O. I’m guess their status has changed?
4. Ives, I remember almost a year ago, you wrote a piece about Bill Hamid, quoting a couple of sources and then I recall that YOU said that you wouldn’t be surprised if Hamid replaced Perkins as the starter within a year. Okay, Hamid may not be the starter (he should be healthy by the start of the season but will have missed PT in much of the preseason) but you’re otherwise pretty accurate on your assessment. Have you thought about playing the lotto today? If not, care to provide some numbers and I’ll use them to play?
This is good for Perkins. He will probably start playing well again now.
As a Timbers fan, I’m VERY disappointed.
1) Perkins isn’t a significant upgrade over Cronin.
2) Cronin is a fan favorite and his enthusiasm for Portland and the Timbers shows on the field.
3) We paid extra $ for a keeper who isn’t an upgrade (unlike, say, a Brad Friedel- whom I would’ve been OK with).
4) WTF- Cronin is one of the faces of the Club.
5) I will miss Cronin’s wife most of all- she is FIRE.
: (
Hahnemann to Vancouver?
Well done. Do you do taxes too?
Grant Wahl (I think) hinted that someone in MLS told him they will be making allocation money more transparent in the future.
It’s disappointing in that I was hoping for DCU to acquire Cronin last offseason, after he looked very good in his short stint there — disappointing in that I’m sure they could have gotten him then for less value than they gave Philly to get Perkins…and maybe they wouldn’t have had to make the midseason trade of their 2nd rd pick (#21 in this draft) for Stephen King.Also disappointing because I like Perkins a lot.
That said, Perkins was terrible last year. He looked like a deer in headlights. Something was off with his reactions. I hope he gets that back.
As for DCU’s situation, I think Avi is wrong. Cronin will be the starter — for two reasons: First, Hamid is recovering from surgery,and wouldn’t be ready to start the season in the first place. Second, if you’ve seen them play, at least in the DCU kit, Cronin is the better goalie, right now. Hamid has gobs of potential there, but Cronin’s greater experience shows. I don’t think they traded for Cronin to make him the backup. Perhaps, down the road, the job will be Hamid’s, but it’s Cronin’s to lose right now.
I do think the allocation money is a big part of this, though we don’t know how much it is. Owner Will Chang doesn’t have money to spend on his own, so the team needs some allocations if they’re going to bring in a DP.
If Hahnemann wants to play in the Northwest the only choice is really Seattle. Seattle has no replacement for Keller once he retires.
Seattle brings Hahnemann during the summer transfer window and start the transaction of Hahnemann being the new starter.
I thought perkins insisted dc/philly when he came back because of his family situation.
Will perkins actually play in portland?
Perkins on the move again. You can bet he’ll be peeved about switching teams.
Perkins’ salary is probably higher than Cronin’s so DC is opening salary cap along with getting allocation money so they can bring in better reinforcements. Also, the difference in skill between Perkins and Hamid wasn’t so great that it made worth Perkins’ higher salary worthwhile. I’m guessing it’s the same reason they took Wolff rather than Angel. Wolff is probably making 100,000 if that as compared to how much Angel would have commanded. DC is clearly trying to get younger.
no Keller signed on for 2011. doubt Marcus would sit for a year as backup
does anyone know anything about the allocation money? like, how much does each team have? do teams start with ‘x’ amount of money? i feel like its always just an arbitrary amount and as fans we have no idea how much allocation money our team has.
Perkins is only two years older than Kronin, guess it comes down to how much money we get from them. These MLS allocation trades are always hard to judge.
I hope you are right!!!
Ives,
question with Portland trading for Perkins would that mean that Hahnemann would likely land in Seattle somehow?
Don’t the Timbers still have Aiden Brown training with them, I know he was rehabbing with them last year with the idea to begin training with them.
It means DC is starting to commit themselves to the youth that’s on the team and build around it. Considering those players are Najar, Hamid, Pontius, White, and Shanosky, it’s not a bad plan.
Wow- so take the last days of trades into consideration:
Portland: gets Troy Perkins
DC United receives Allocation money and Steve Cronin
DC United: acquires Troy Perkins for Fred, Allocation money and 1st round draft Pick
Philly Union: use allocation money to buy Chris Seitz (somewhat) and draft Jack Mac
Philly: lose Seitz and Fred in recent free agent draft
Dallas gets Seitz for 4th round pick to Seattle:
All in all Philly gets Jac Mac, DC gets Cronin and Allocation Money, Portland gets Perkins, Dallas gets Seitz, Seattle gets 4th round pick, NE gets Fred and RSL gets allocation money- I guess DC could have done worst considering they have Hamid.
Not sure what to think of that move as a DC fan
Well that does answer whos gonna start for Portland and rules out Hahnemann imo.