By AVI CREDITOR
D.C. United has gone to great lengths to improve itself during the offseason, but after an injury to one of its acquisitions, the team currently is without a healthy goalkeeper on the official roster.
Steve Cronin, acquired in a trade with Portland for Troy Perkins, injured his wrist in training, and the team is awaiting MRI and X-ray results to determine the severity of the injury. Should Cronin have to miss an extended period of time, the team's depth chart at the position would be rather shallow.
With Bill Hamid still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, the only two healthy keepers in camp are the un-signed Chase Harrison and Joe Willis. Harrison was with the team for the tail-end of the 2010 season before joining Columbus for the playoffs, and Willis, a 6-foot-5 prospect out of the University of Denver, was the team's third-round pick in the MLS SuperDraft.
Among the out-of-contract keepers available with MLS experience is Brad Knighton, who was waived by the Philadelphia Union last month.
Here are a few more items from around MLS:
TAYLOR TRIALS WITH HOUSTON
Jamaican international defender Jermaine Taylor is on trial with the Houston Dynamo, with the club eyeing a deal with the 26-year-old centerback.
Houston's revolving door of Caribbean trialists continues to turn, as Jamaican midfielder Richard Edwards is also set to join the club, while Jamaicans Steven Morissey, Francois Swaby and JeVaughn Watson and Trinidadian Lester Peltier will all have their trial periods end on Saturday.
WHITECAPS SIGN TWO MORE FROM D2 TEAM
The Vancouver Whitecaps signed Nizar Khalfan and Gershon Koffie, two players who were with the club at the USSF Division 2 level. Khalfan, a native Tanzanian, and Koffie, a native Ghanaian, occupy the first international roster slots used by the club.
The 22-year-old Khalfan can play either in the midfield or at striker and tallied two goals and two assists with the Whitecaps last season. He has played for the Tanzania national team since 2006. Koffie, 19, is a ball-winning central midfielder.
RED BULLS OPEN PRESEASON VS. ATLANTE
The New York Red Bulls will play their first preseason match against Atlante in Mexico tonight at 9 p.m. The team will be providing live updates throughout the match via its Twitter feed.
SCHEDULE SET FOR RELEASE
MLS fans have just one more day to wait before getting to work on planning out any road trips and soccer weekends, as the league will release its schedule on Thursday.
Each team will play against each other at home and away for a total of 34 games apiece. It's been speculated that the league's contract negotiations with the television networks is what has been holding up the release.
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What do you think of the D.C. goalkeeping situation? Do you think Taylor would be a good fit in Houston? Do you like the signings for Vancouver? What do you hope to see out of the Red Bulls-Atlante friendly? Ready for the schedule to be unveiled?
Share your thoughts below.