Chivas USA acquires defender Heath Pearce from Dallas
The oft-maligned USMNT left back, seen here outpacing Chivas USA midfielder Blair Gavin last June, comes over from Dallas in exchange for allocation money, the club announced today.
The 26-year-old joined Dallas in 2009 after stints in Germany and Denmark. The University of Portland product made 27 starts for the Western Conference champions last season.
The Spanish-speaking Pearce has 32 U.S. caps.
Pearce is one of several signings Chivas USA has made in recent weeks in a bid to shore up its defense including central defender Jimmy Conrad, New Zealander Andrew Boyens and defensive midfielder Simon Elliott.
Updated
Chivas USA has released three players from preseason camp: Former Cal State Northridge goalkeeper Kevin Guppy, who last year was a pool goalkeeper for the league; Canadian defender Curtis Ushedo, a Supplemental Draft pick; and Norberto Ochoa, 20, who was out of Riverside Poly.
Updated
Chivas USA dropped its second consecutive preseason game today, losing 2-0 to Real Salt Lake in Casa Grande, Ariz.
Chivas USA lineup: Sergio Arias (Zach Thornton 60), Jorge Flores (Ante Jazic 60), Eriq Zavaleta (Michael Umaña 60), Andrew Boyens (Jimmy Conrad 60), Jimmy Asprilla (Zarek Valentin 60), Ben Zemanski (John Okafor 60), Guillermo Torres (Chukwudi Chijindu 29, Blair Gavin 60), Mariano Trujillo (Mike Lahoud 60), Jesús Padilla (Francisco Mendoza 60), Victor Estupiñan (Gerson Mayén 60), Alejandro Moreno (Alan Gordon 60)
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About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
What happened to Heath Pearce? I haven't really followed his career, so I was thinking he was an aging defender along the lines of Conrad, Berholter, and Hejduk... but at 26 he should just be entering his best years. 32 caps for the Nats and Dallas trades him away for chump change?
In my opinion he's a limited player with issues. His former German club essentially fired him, Dallas wanted rid of him. It's a risk for Chivas USA.