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CONFIRMED Update 2: It's being confirmed that the Portland Timbers have traded Adam Moffat and allocation money for Mike Chabala and Lovel Palmer. Multiple sources. I'm ready to call this deal done. Kenny Cooper (as was in the title previously) will not be traded to Houston.
Update 3: Portland Timbers have officially announced the deal which also included an international roster spot for the Timbers. Seems like a fantastic deal.
Time to power on the rumor machine as it's starting a little bit early this morning. Late last night, Ryan Gates posted a possible rumor at the two players possibly heading over to the Timbers, but for what he couldn't say. Today, I'm hearing that this might be a trade for Kenny Cooper. Here's why it makes sense.
First, Palmer confirmed he was being traded by tweeting "I'm going green." No he wasn't referring to his stance on environmentally friendliness, he was referring to being traded to either the Portland Timbers or the Seattle Sounders. His tweet has since been deleted, bit I assure you it was there.
Second, the Houston Chronicle has confirmed that both Lovel Palmer and Mike Chabala are off Houston's roster as of now. Meaning both were taken off at the same time... sounds like both are being traded away at the same time to the same place, if you ask me.
Third, our colleagues at Dynamo Theory, SB Nation's Houston Dynamo blog, have confirmed this morning that a trade IS happening with the Timbers and that two players will be going there. I don't know their source, but I trust them
Fourth, Kenny Cooper has been a hot rumor to get traded away so this would really not come as a surprise to anybody. It's Adam Moffat and allocation money not Kenny Cooper.
Fifth, Dominic Kinnear and John Spencer have a previous relationship so working out a lucrative trade between the two teams was probably easier than with others. Also Spencer probably knows both of these guys fairly well as they've both been with Houston for a couple years now. (Fun fact: Mike Chabala played for the USL Timbers back in 2006).
So, as you can see, evidence is building up. It's not yet enough for me to completely call this as confirmed, but I'd be damn surprised if it was anything else.
The singular hang up right now is if Kenny Cooper will get traded or not as I can't find confirmation on that, and whether or not he'll be going alone or if another player comes with him. Multiple sources are confirming it is Adam Moffat and allocation money.
I'll have player profiles up and ready to go as soon as the deal is announced.
UPDATE: Michael Orr, of Mao's Football Show, and other fans are pointing out that neither Adam Moffat nor Ryan Pore played last night when they usually do in those sort of games. Perhaps we could be seeing a Moffat and Pore trade for Chabala and Palmer. Kenny Cooper might be with us still for a while yet.