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SANDY — After days of speculation and rumor, Salt Lake City's Major League Soccer side confirmed the news supporters expected — but hoped wasn't true.
Real Salt Lake made one move during Major League Soccer's half-day trade window Monday ahead of the 2014 expansion draft, finalizing a deal that sent veteran defender Nat Borchers to Portland in exchange for allocation money.
Terms of the deal, which was first reported by SI.com's Grant Wahl, will not be discussed, per team and league policy.
The trade came down to a potential loss of Borchers in the upcoming expansion draft, and RSL general manager Garth Lagerwey said there was no way the club could protect the bearded defender without risking the loss of another player.
"There has been no more loyal or consistent soldier," Lagerwey said in a statement. "I know Nat didn't want to leave, but we simply couldn't work out a way to protect him as part of the expansion process. Understanding that staying was Nat's first choice, we were able to at least give Nat the choice as to where to go."
Borchers leaves RSL as the No. 2 man on the team's all-time minutes-played list, missing only 21 matches since moving to Salt Lake City in 2008 from Norwegian club Odd Grenland. The 33-year-old center back was a fixture in RSL's defense, playing in 19 of the club's 21 playoff matches that included the club's lone MLS Cup title in 2009.
Borchers will join former RSL teammates Will Johnson in Portland, which also traded defender Michael Harrington to Colorado for allocation money and signed Colombian winger Dairon Asprilla and Ghanaian international goalkeeper Adam Larsen Kwarasey to deals.
"We expect him to thrive in Portland just as Will Johnson has," Lagerwey said. "We believe it's a testament to the culture and the consistent success that we've had here at RSL when our players go to other teams and continue to play at a high level. Best of luck to Nat and thanks for all of his hard work and all of his contributions."
