TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Trade
Columbus Crew SC have acquired Costa Rican international midfielder David Guzman from the Portland Timbers in exchange for an international roster slot, the clubs announced Monday.
Guzman, 29, reunites with former head coach Caleb Porter, who enjoyed his most productive MLS season under Porter with 25 appearances, a goal and six assists. Since Porter departed, Guzman has made just 19 appearances, including five this year.
“We are excited to welcome David to Columbus Crew SC,” Crew president Tim Bezbatchenko said in a statement. “David is a player who brings World Cup, Copa America, Concacaf Champions League and MLS Cup experience to the Club, and who will add depth to our midfield. Having worked with Caleb before, we believe David will quickly integrate into our squad and we look forward to his contributions to Crew SC.”
Guzman has earned 54 caps for Costa Rica and appeared at the 2018 World Cup for Los Ticos. Guzman started five of the club's playoff matches in 2018 as they made it to MLS Cup final.
“On behalf of the entire club, I would like to thank David and his family for their contributions to the Portland Timbers over the last three seasons, and we wish them all the best in the future,” Timbers general manager Gavin Wilkinson said in a club statement. “David represented our club in a superb fashion, and it was a proud moment for the entire organization as he represented his country and our club in the World Cup last year.”
After a hot start, the Crew have now lost five consecutive matches. The Timbers, meanwhile, have won three games in a row and might soon find the international roster spoty handy; they are widely reported to be signing forward Brian Fernandez for a club-record fee from Liga MX ahead of the Primary Transfer Window deadline Tuesday.
