The Portland Timbers announced a series of roster moves on Monday, including a several significant acquisitions.
The Major League Soccer club signed Ghana’s World Cup goalkeeper Adam Larsen Kwarasey, Colombian winger Dairon Asprilla and Brazilian defender Jeanderson Salvador Pereira. They traded away defender Michael Harrington and added center back Nat Borchers.
The Timbers also purchased defender Alvas Powell from Jamaica’s Portmore United. They signed Powell, who was with Portland on loan since 2013, to a new contract. The Timbers also re-signed defender Jorge Villafana, and picked up 2015 contracts for midfielders George Fochive, Michael Nanchoff, Rodney Wallace and Ben Zemanski, defender Taylor Peay and goalkeepers Jake Gleeson and Andrew Weber.
Portland declined 2015 contracts for midfielder Kalif Alhassan, defender Pa Modou Kah, defender Bryan Gallego and midfielder Steven Evans. Evans signed with the Timbers new USL team. Alhassan was the last remaining player who played for the Timbers prior to the club joining MLS in 2011.
Players already under contract for 2015 are: goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts; defenders Jack Jewsbury, Norberto Paparatto and Liam Ridgewell; midfielders Diego Chara, Will Johnson, Darlington Nagbe and Diego Valeri; and forwards Fanendo Adi, Schillo Tshuma and Maximiliano Urruti. The team said it is still negotiating with Argentine forward Gaston Fernandez.
Also made official was the sale of forward Jose Valencia to Club Olimpo of Argentina. Defenders Rauwshan McKenzie and Danny O’Rourke were not offered contracts.
Goalkeeper Kwarasey has made 23 appearances for the Ghana National Team since 2011, including against the United States in the opening match of the 2014 World Cup. Kwarasey, 26, is 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds. A native of Oslo, Norway, he has played professionally in Norway since 2007.
Borchers, 33, is a 10-year MLS veteran who started 32 matches for Real Salt Lake in 2014. He has made three appearances in friendlies with the United States national team, most recently in 2010. The Timbers sent allocation money to RSL for Borchers. RSL made the playoffs in all seven of Borchers seasons with the club. Adding Borchers addresses a clear need for the Timbers. Central defender was a revolving door position for the team in 2014, especially before Liam Ridgewell was signed to a Designated Player contract at midseason.
A wing player, Asprilla, 22, has played for several Colombian clubs over the last four seasons.
Jeanderson, 23, played with three Brazillian clubs during 2014.
Powell, 20, came on in the second half of 2014 when he became a regular starter at right back. His emergence and Villafana taking on the starting role at left back made Harrington expendable. Harrington was traded to Colorado for allocation money.
MLS rules prohibit teams from disclosing amounts of allocation money or contract details.
On Wednesday, MLS will hold an expansion draft for Orlando City FC and New York City FC. Players the Timbers have protected are: Adi, Borchers, Chara, Johnson, Nagbe, Powell, Ridgewell, Urruti, Valeri, Wallace and Zemanski.
