July 13, 2012
MLS INFORMER
News and notes from around the league

Vancouver Whitecaps FC transferred team assist leader Davide Chiumiento to FC Zürich of the Swiss Super League. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images

Hanging them up
Sounders FC forward Roger Levesque will retire following Wednesday's match against Chelsea FC, the club announced today.

Levesque, 31, signed with Sounders FC on March 16, 2009 after spending nearly six seasons (2003-08) with the USL-1 Sounders. Levesque made 53 appearances (18 starts) for Seattle and scored six goals with two assists in his three-and-a-half MLS seasons with the club. He added another three goals and eight assists in U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League play, including the game-winning goal in the 2009 Open Cup final.

Prior to joining Sounders FC, the seven-year MLS veteran spent three seasons with San Jose after being selected by the Earthquakes 23rd overall in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft.

Looking for a home
The Seattle Sounders are looking for a home for a patch of grass--90,000 square feet of it to be exact. The team is seeking a local school, municipality or non-profit organization to use the temporary grass field currently being installed at CenturyLink Field for next Wednesday’s game against Chelsea. The field's new home will have to be within a 45-mile radius of CenturyLink Field, and be graded and equipped with adequate drainage and irrigation.

Back from the Blues
Portland Timbers forward Bright Dike has been recalled from his loan with the L.A. Blues of USL PRO, and defender Andrew Jean-Baptiste will now join the Blues on a season-long loan.

While on loan, Dike, 25, recorded six goals and two assists in 10 games for the Blues, becoming the team’s leading scorer. He was named the USL PRO Player of the Week in Week 11 after scoring the game-winning goal in back-to-back matches against the Dayton Dutch Lions on June 15 and June 17. With the Timbers this season, Dike has started three MLS Reserve League games, scoring two goals.


Going home
Real Salt Lake has acquired Salt Lake City native Justin Braun from the Montreal Impact in exchange for a conditional 2014 SuperDraft pick.

Currently in his fifth MLS season, Braun spent his first four years in the league with Chivas USA, signing with the Southern California side after being spotted while playing for the Utah Select Team in an amateur tournament at the Home Depot Center in January 2008. He had one assist in 12 appearances for the Impact this season.

Swiss exchange
Vancouver Whitecaps FC has transferred midfielder Davide Chiumiento to FC Zürich of the Swiss Super League for an undisclosed fee.


Chiumiento, 27, joined Whitecaps FC in August 2010 after spending four seasons in his native Switzerland, including three years with FC Luzern, and one season with Berner Sport Club (BSC) Young Boys. This season, he appeared in 16 games, starting 15, and led the team with five assists.


Making moves
Toronto FC continues to reshape its roster, making a number of moves in the last few days. The team terminated the contract of forward Nick Soolsma, sent forward Joao Plata on a six-month loan to Ecuadorian club LDU Quito and dealt midfielder Julian de Guzman to FC Dallas in exchange for midfielder Andrew Wiedeman.

De Guzman logged 1,028 minutes for the Reds this season, picking up three assists. A four-year veteran of MLS, the 31-year-old has two goals and eight assists in 65 matches since joining Toronto FC from La Liga side Deportivo de La Coruna in 2009. Originally signed as Toronto FC’s first Designated Player, de Guzman spent nine seasons in Europe playing for clubs in France, Germany and Spain before returning to his hometown of Toronto. De Guzman has 56 career caps with the Canadian National Team.


Player of the week
Real Salt Lake’s Álvaro Saborío was voted Major League Soccer Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) for Week 18 of the 2012 MLS season. Saborío scored three second-half goals to give Real Salt Lake a 3-0 victory over the Portland Timbers.

Saborío broke the deadlock in the 60th minute by heading in a Kyle Beckerman cross.

His second came just two minutes later, when the Costa Rican attacker got behind the Portland defense, latched onto a deep pass, and nodded the ball past Timbers goalkeeper Troy Perkins.

Saborío wrapped up the hat trick by capitalizing on a penalty kick opportunity in the 75th minute.

The three-goal performance was his third multiple-goal game this season and moved him into third place in the Golden Boot standings with 10 goals in 20 games played.