Not a huge shocker for those of you who have been keeping up on all the drama surrounding Kerrea Gilbert, the Portland Timbers, and U.S. immigration office, but today it was confirmed via MLSsoccer.com that the Arsenal defender will not be joining our team. The deal did not go through as planned and, as far as I know, Arsenal will retain the player's rights.
I'm not really sure what to think about this right now. Given the way our backline performed last Saturday, I think Kerrea Gilbert could have elevated our game a bit. However, Steve Purdy has also played very well for us in that position, especially when paired up with midfielder Sal Zizzo, who was out on a shoulder injury for Saturday's game. I suppose the next three games will tell us for a certainty whether Kerrea's absense will hurt our future prospects or not.
This effectively brings our roster down to 27 players and opens up a bit of salary space. No telling whether the Timbers will use that extra money to bring in any other players before the transfer window closes next month, although a DP is still highly rumored.
[via MLSsoccer.com]