RSL ACQUIRES
ARTURO ALVAREZ VIA TRADE WITH PORTLAND, LOSE ROBBIE FINDLEY & DAVID HORST
TO TIMBERS IN MLS EXPANSION DRAFT
Real Salt Lake also Announces Waiving of MF Alex Nimo
SANDY,
Utah (Wednesday, November 24, 2010) – While today belonged
to 2011 MLS expansion franchises Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps, Real
Salt Lake stole some headlines of its own with an active day that was
headlined by a trade with Portland that brought M/F Arturo Alvarez to
the Wasatch Front in exchange for the higher of Real Salt Lake second round
selections in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. In addition, RSL saw a pair of players –
FW Robbie Findley and DF David Horst – selected by the Timbers in
the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft, which took place earlier today via conference
call, and announced the waiving of MF Alex Nimo.
“We are excited to add a dynamic, attacking,
left-footed player who can play either in midfield or up top for us. We
wanted to add another player who can beat opponents off the dribble and create
their own chances, and we believe we have acquired him in Arturo Alvarez,” said
Real Salt Lake V.P. of Soccer Operations and General Manager Garth Lagerwey.
“It is always painful to lose good, young players in whom we, as a staff, have
invested tremendous time and energy in, and David and Robbie both fit that
bill. However, we can only lose in expansion and we can only protect 11
players, so we wish both of them the best in the future.”
Just hours after
Portland plucked Alvarez from the San Jose Earthquakes with its 10th
and final pick of the MLS Expansion Draft (click
here for the full results of today’s draft), Real Salt Lake engineered
a trade for the 25-year-old left-sided attacker. In return, Portland receives
the second round selection (22nd overall) in January’s upcoming
SuperDraft that RSL acquired from Chivas USA in May 2008 in the deal
that sent DF Carey Talley to the Southern California side.
An
eight-year MLS veteran, Alvarez has started 101 of his 166 League appearances
since his debut season for San Jose back in 2003, registering 24 goals and 18
assists on behalf of the Earthquakes (2003-04, 2008-10) and FC Dallas (2005-2008). Alvarez has
also notched an assist across five MLS Cup Playoff contests (one start),
including three substitute appearances totaling 69 minutes during San Jose’s
run to the Eastern Conference Championship earlier this month.
After representing
the United States at various youth levels, the Houston native made the jump to
El Salvador’s national team at the senior level in 2009 under current Chicago
Fire head coach Carlos de los Cabos. Alvarez collected five caps for “la
Selecta” during CONCACAF’s final round of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World
Cup in 2009, including a starting role in El Salvador’s 1-2 defeat to the
United States in the first-ever qualifier to take place at his new home of Rio
Tinto Stadium on Sept. 5, 2009.
Findley was one of
the bigger surprises of the 20 players selected in today’s draft, the move
coming just days after RSL had announced the striker’s intentions to test the
waters of the overseas market. The 25-year-old Phoenix native leaves Real Salt
Lake as the club’s career leader in goals (29) and game-winning goals (9),
while also placing in the top five on the squad’s all-time charts with 157
shots (2nd); 69 shots on goal (2nd), 13 assists (3rd);
five game-winning assists (T-2nd); 96 games played (4th);
four multi-goal games (2nd); and 85 fouls suffered (5th).
Findley is the first and only player in Real Salt Lake history to record a hat
trick in MLS play, the striker accomplishing the feat on April 2, 2009, when he
bagged all three goals in a 3-1 defeat of the Columbus Crew in Sandy.
Findley also departs
as RSL’s all-time leading playoff scorer, having tallied four goals and adding
a pair of assists while playing in all nine of the Utah side’s postseason
contests since 2008. The Oregon State product played three-and-a-half seasons
for Real Salt Lake, which acquired the then-rookie striker alongside MF Nathan
Sturgis in a trade with the LA Galaxy for MF Chris Klein midway through the
2007 campaign.
Horst joins Portland
after three seasons with the Claret-and-Cobalt, this after RSL nabbed the
towering center back with the 14th overall selection (first round)
in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. After making only three appearances with RSL’s
first team in League play across his first two seasons from 2008-09, Horst
gained valuable experience this past season while on loan to the USSF D-2 Pro
League’s Puerto Rico Islanders, scoring once and notching two assists in 29
appearances en route to helping the Islanders claim the second division’s championship
in October. Horst also played a valuable role for Puerto Rico during CONCACAF
Champions League play, scoring twice while appearing in all eight contests for
the Islanders in the regional club championship. Horst played a huge factor for
the squad that defeated the LA Galaxy in the Preliminary Round and posted a
2-2-2 record in Group D play during in the Group Stage.
Nimo was also a
member of Real Salt Lake’s 2008 MLS SuperDraft class, the Utah side picking the
then-teenager with the 17th overall pick in the second round. Nimo
failed to make any appearances for RSL during his rookie season before being
sent to the Portland Timbers on season-long loans in both 2009 and 2010, where
he amassed 45 appearances for his hometown side.
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