—by Chris Rifer

Welcome to Wednesday, folks. If you slept through Monday and Tuesday, well, prepare to be welcomed to a whole new world.[1]

Remember a few weeks ago when folks were griping about the lack of signings? Remember when some around Morrison Street were beginning to channel Gunner faithful in pleading for the Timbers to spend some [------] money? Trencito wasn’t enough – after trading Kenny Cooper and drafting thriftily many were demanding fresh blood to help the turf grow at Jeld-Wen Field.

And then Hanyer Mosquera happened. And it was good. But then it got quiet again, and the chants from the Emirates again began to be whispered on the winds through Portland.

And then Monday and Tuesday happened. Holy cow.

Kris Boyd

On Monday Portland got its man. After making clear that they were desirous of a #9 – somebody to hold the ball up, and finish chances – the Timbers landed their poacher in Kris Boyd.

A veteran of John Spencer’s old club, Rangers,[2] Kris Boyd comes to Portland as the all-time leading goalscorer in the Scottish Premier League.[3] From 2006-2010 Boyd logged 101 goals for Rangers in 143 appearances across all competitions. Boyd found the net seven times for Scotland in 18 caps. After a 2010 move to the English Championship, Boyd added 12 goals in 39 total appearances for Middlesboro and Nottingham Forest, including a torrid six goals in a ten match stretch for Forest.[4] Boyd briefly moved to the Turkish Super Lig this season, but apparently his club didn’t pay him.

While there are questions about Boyd,[5] the strong consensus seems to be that he is an upgrade – and perhaps a rather substantial upgrade – over Kenny Cooper. As a true poacher, it seems unlikely John Spencer would deploy him in a 4-5-1-like formation. Instead, he seems best suited to a more traditional 4-4-2, or perhaps an aggressive 4-3-3 with multiple strikers playing pretty high. He doesn’t seem like the type that will function well on his own up top.

Considering Spenny’s tendencies, my guess is we see Boyd as a lead man in the 4-4-2, with Jorge Perlaza running alongside. Darlington Nagbe seems like a more logical fit for right mid now, considering Boyd will need some service and Nagbe is probably the best passer the Timbers have available at that position right now.

Regardless of how the tactics work out, the addition of Boyd provides a rudder to a Timbers strikeforce that last week seemed a bit afloat.

Charles Renken

On Tuesday a player fell into Portland’s lap. After the other 18 MLS clubs turned up their nose at one-time American prodigy Charles Renken, Portland grabbed him off of waivers. What exactly does that mean? Well, nobody seems sure, but it seems likely Portland acquired Renken without losing their allocation position.

Renken is a fixture in the American youth system, having been called to every youth team from U-14 to U-20. Most recently, Renken played for Hoffenheim’s U-19s, logging 10 appearances in his first professional season last year.

There is no doubt Renken is a long-term prospect. Despite being on the national team radar for quite a while, Renken is still only 18. In the last couple years he has been slowed by a few knew injuries – something that is not unheard of considering the amount of soccer he has played while growing.

Nonetheless, Renken now becomes a guy that the Timbers can immerse in the MLS game for a couple years while letting him develop in the reserves. Instead of training with U-19s and reserves in Germany, he will train every day with first team professionals while getting meaningful playing time in the reserves.

While at this point Renken is far from a surefire prospect – as the fact that 18 other teams passed on him demonstrates – he is definitely a very high upside guy.[6] Don’t be surprised if Renken is breaking into the first team in a couple years and making a bit of a splash. Just the chance of that happening is well worth the Timber’s acquisition of him.

What’s to Come

Now folks, the week may not be over just yet.

Yesterday on ExtraTime Radio, Merritt suggested that there were likely two more major announcements yet to be made within the next week or so. First, it is likely we will hear something about the status of Trencito – and his mysterious medical testing – in the next day or two. At this point it sounds probable that the Timbers plan to keep Trencito in spite of some “red flags” that the physical raised, but the Timbers are in the process of negotiating a lower transfer fee from Santa Fe for the young striker.

Second, Merritt suggested that the international signings weren’t done just yet. After Boyd, Portland reportedly has one international roster spot left. For a couple weeks now the Timbers have been linked with Juan David Duque, a young left back from Atletico Nacional in (do I even have to say this?) Medellin, Colombia.

Finally, it is likely the Timbers will have the roster space to sign a trialist or two. Right now, the Timbers have two significant trialists in camp, Frank Sango’o, a Cameroonian winger, and Sebastian Rincon, an 18 year old Colombian striker from Trencito’s former club, Independiente Santa Fe. While Rincon is a recent arrival in Portland, Sango’o has been here all week and has impressed onlookers. Regardless, decisions on these guys will probably not be made until after the Timbers’ preseason trip to L.A., so you will likely have a few days to catch your breath.

Until next time,

Onward, Rose City!