PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers announced today that the club has signed free-agent defender Chance Myers. Myers, who has made over 140 regular-season appearances in MLS, joins the Timbers ahead of the 2017 campaign after spending the past nine seasons with Sporting Kansas City.
Originally drafted by Kansas City as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft, Myers, 29, has appeared in 147 regular-season games (114 starts) during his nine-year MLS career with Sporting KC. Additionally, Myers has made 10 postseason appearances (10 starts), including five games (5 starts) during Sporting Kansas City’s MLS Cup run in 2013.
“Chance is a proven MLS player, and his experience and qualities both on and off the field will help strengthen the club,” said Gavin Wilkinson, general manager and president of soccer for the Timbers. “His addition reflects a primary objective of ours to bring in starting-caliber players to, in turn, provide more depth within our squad.”
Myers won two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophies (2012, 2015) and an MLS Cup title (2013) during his time with Sporting Kansas City, recording an assist in the 2015 U.S. Open Cup final and converting a penalty kick in Sporting KC’s 2013 MLS Cup victory over Real Salt Lake.
"One of our main goals this offseason was to increase competition and add more cover in every position,” said Caleb Porter, head coach of the Timbers. “Chance Myers will be a good fit in our system and provides attacking and defending balance to the right back position. Chance is also another piece that will raise the level and compete for his minutes, and with this signing we feel our roster is in a good spot in that role."
Myers, who was Sporting Kansas City’s longest tenured player in 2016, has tallied two goals and 16 assists in regular-season play as a defender in MLS, also recording three seasons (2011-2013) with 27 or more games played in MLS.
Internationally, Myers represented the U-18 and U-20 U.S. Men’s National Teams and was called into the 2014 U.S. Men’s National Team January camp, training for three weeks with the squad including a two-week period in Brazil. Collegiately, the Thousand Oaks, Calif., native played two seasons at UCLA, appearing in 42 games and earning All-Pac-10 honors in 2007.
Transaction: Portland Timbers sign free-agent defender Chance Myers on Jan. 23, 2017
Chance Myers
Position: Defender
Height: 6-0
Weight: 165
Born: Dec. 7, 1987, in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Last Club: Sporting Kansas City
College: UCLA
Citizenship: United States
Acquired: Signed on Jan. 23, 2017
