FanPost

Bye Bye Perkins

He was traded today for Ricketts...

Oregonian Article below...

DONOVAN-RICKETTS-071412.JPGView full sizeThe Associated PressThe Timbers have acquired goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts (above) from Montreal, sending Troy Perkins to the Impact. In a sign that a bigger roster shakeup could be imminent, the Portland Timbers traded goalkeeper Troy Perkins to Montreal for goalkeeperDonovan Ricketts, the team announced Tuesday.

The decision to trade Perkins was a bit of a surprise. A veteran of seven MLS seasons who just turned 31 on July 29, Perkins was viewed as one of the team leaders whose performances had been one of the few brights spots during a hugely disappointing season.

The move could be the first of a number of roster moves before the end of the season. The Timbers currently sit in last place in the Western Conference, trailing fifth-place Los Angeles by 13 points for the final playoff spot with 12 games to play. It's highly unlikely the Timbers will make the playoffs, and with a new coach coming in, general manager and interim coach Gavin Wilkinson will be examining a number of options.

The decision to trade Perkins could also be a sign that the Timbers are close to hiring a new head coach. Many first-year coaches -- notably Vancouver's Martin Rennie -- have been known to shake up rosters to assemble a group of players who mirror their philosophy and style of play.

TROY-PERKINS-TRADE-042112.JPGView full sizeThomas Boyd/The OregonianTroy Perkins was one of the Timbers' team leaders. Perkins had started all 22 games for the Timbers in 2012, playing 90 minutes in each game except at Montreal, when he came out after a collision with the Impact's Sanna Nyassi forced him to come out in the 67th minute April 28.

Ricketts, 35, had started in all 24 of his appearances with Montreal in 2012, helping the expansion Impact close to within five points of fifth-place Chicago in the chase for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Impact have conceded an MLS-high 43 goals, and Ricketts' 1.64 goals allowed average ranks near the bottom of the league this season.

But the Timbers view Ricketts as one of the best goalkeepers in MLS. The 6-foot-4 native of Jamaica is in his fourth MLS season, having played the first 2 1/2 seasons in Los Angeles before he was traded to Montreal just days after the Galaxy won the MLS Cup championship in November.

Ricketts has appeared in seven playoff games and was part of the Galaxy’s MLS championship run in 2011, though he had lost his position in the starting 11 to Josh Saunders by the time the Galaxy defeated Houston in the MLS Cup championship game.

Ricketts also helped the Galaxy win the regular season title in 2010 and 2011, and was selected as the league's Goalkeeper of the Year in MLS in 2010 after he established a team record with a 0.90 goals allowed average and tied a team record with 11 shutouts. He was selected as an MLS All-Star in 2009 and 2010.

-- Geoffrey C. Arnold; follow him on Twitter

This FanPost was written by a Stumptown Footy community member and does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the site or its staff.

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