The Colombia-to-Portland pipeline is back in action.
The Portland Timbers announced the acquisition of 24-year-old defender Hanyer Mosquera, a 6-foot-1 centerback expected to come in and add a dominating presence along the Portland back line. Mosquera becomes the fourth Colombian on the Timbers, joining Designated Players Diego Chara and Jose Adolfo Valencia and forward Jorge Perlaza. He has played in his native Colombia for the last six years, including spending the last two at top-flight club La Equidad.
"Hanyer is a player we've had our eye on for 18 months," Timbers general manager Gavin Wilkinson said in a release. "He has all the attributes needed to become one of the top defenders in MLS."
With David Horst out for up to the next seven months after hip surgery, the club's centerback corps was thin beyond 2011 starters Futty Danso and Eric Brunner. With first-round SuperDraft pick Andrew Jean-Baptiste and now Mosquera brought into the fold, the Timbers have addressed that need head on.
Here are a couple of more items from around MLS:
WHITECAPS SIGN KNIGHTON
Martin Rennie has gone back to the Carolina Railhawks well once again.
The Vancouver Whitecaps announced the acquisition of goalkeeper Brad Knighton, bringing the former New England Revolution and Philadelphia Union shot stopper back to MLS after a year in NASL.
Knighton starred under Rennie for the Railhawks last season, and he joins midfielder Matt Watson as former Railhawks to follow Rennie to Vancouver.
He slots in behind Joe Cannon on the Whitecaps' goalkeeper depth chart but could push for the starting gig, something he had a brief hold on while playing for the Union during their expansion season. In Carolina last season, Knighton was a NASL Best XI performer and backstopped the club to the league's best record in the regular season.
SKC ACQUIRES RIGHTS TO THOMAS
Sporting Kansas City made a deal with the San Jose Earthquakes in advance of the Supplemental Draft, acquiring the rights to local product and midfielder Michael Thomas in exchange for a fourth-round pick in Tuesday's event.
Thomas, who is from the Kansas City area and played collegiately at Notre Dame, was a former second-round SuperDraft selection of the Earthquakes in 2010, but he opted to try his hand in Sweden, signing with Halmstads BK.
Should he come to MLS, Sporting KC would have the first option to add him to its roster.
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What do you think of Portland's latest signing? Think Knighton can press for starter's minutes in Vancouver? Think the SKC-SJ trade makes sense for both teams?
Share your thoughts below.