Let’s talk about yesterday’s Portland-Colorado trade

Jul 6, 2012, 11:05 AM EDT

Getty Images

It’s so difficult to assess MLS trades where allocation money is attached because the sums are never disclosed.

So, all we can really do is look at how the change of address shapes or reshapes a roster. On that regard, I love this trade for Portland.

I’ve long thought Kosuke Kimura (acquired Thursday from the Colorado Rapids for allocation money and an international roster spot) was an underrated right back.

Kimura had lost his spot recently to Hunter Freeman and had generally struggled under first-year manager Oscar Pareja. It was a seismic downturn from the Kimura who had thrived under previous Rapids manager Gary Smith.

Now with manager John Spencer, Kimura has a chance to play and to thrive, to use his energy to get up the field and provide service, the very axis on which Spencer’s system thrives. Jack Jewsbury has been a stop-gap at the position, a converted midfielder playing right back, more or less, as a way to get on the field. Lovel Palmer, another in a formless rotation of right backs over the last two years at Jeld-Wen, was also a converted midfielder.

Kimura has some defensive frailties, but he’s competent in tackling and tracking and absolutely will get forward in efforts to feed striker Kris Boyd. A game shy of the season’s halfway pole for Portland, Boyd has five goals, which is hardly when Timbers officials had hoped. Better and more frequent service will surely help.

Last year, by the way, I would have rated Kimura fourth of fifth top right back in MLS.

It’s a win for Portland. It could also be a win for Colorado – depending on what the Rapids do with that allocation money. (And presumably, they’ll do it soon … so stay tuned on that one.)

Skip to Comments (3)

« Newer Looking at the allocation order in MLS

Older » Chicago Fire’s Sean Johnson never hid from bad moment

More ProSoccerTalk

Back to Homepage

3 Comments (Feed for Comments)

wesbadia - Jul 6, 2012 at 12:11 PM

I agree. Good pick up for Portland. I do, however, think it’s ironic that a wing back that is known for getting forward can’t seem to fit into a system that tries to play the 4-3-3… a formation that needs its wing backs to get forward. Granted, Pareja has pretty much switched to a modified formation, somewhere between a 4-3-3 and 4-4-2, but the current system still needs service from its wing backs.

I can’t, for the life of me, see Jewsbury getting benched. Lovell Palmer seems to be the odd man out here. He was kind of ho-hum in the D-Mid role this week versus SJ. Moving Jewsbury to that spot might be smarter. Having Nagbe play the reserved striker/CAM role seems to be his best fit. And with Mwanga up top along with Boyd, that attack force now seems legit. If only Boyd can find the net…

Log in to Reply
mchlsanti - Jul 6, 2012 at 12:15 PM

With this acquirement, what would be the best line-up for the Timbers? Will the line-up shuffle also change the Timbers formation into a more offensive one? I understand that Spencer likes the team to feed the ball inside from the wings, but i feel that with the new threat from Kimura, it’s time to add more attacks from the top of the box to keep defenses honest and on their heels.

Log in to Reply
- wesbadia - Jul 6, 2012 at 1:16 PM
  
  Honestly, I think Portland needs another quality centerback. Mosquera has been good when he’s played, but his injuries have sidelined him a lot this year. Horst has been good lately, and so has Danso. Their depth has just taken a hit with Brunner and Mosquera. If they address that issue, I think the line-up, as it has been the last few weeks, will remain unchanged, sans the new acquisition.
  
  Mwanga-Boyd
  Nagbe
  Alexander-Songo’o
  Jewsbury
  Smith-Danso-Horst-Kimura
  Perkins
  
  If they played a diamond midfield with Jewsbury as a holding D-Mid and Nagbe as a “playmaker” or reserved attacker, I think it’d strike a great balance between offensive potency and defensive solidarity. Again, another quality CB would make this line-up shine. And getting Al Hassan back in the starting XI would do wonders for flank play and creativity.
  
  Log in to Reply