It's not often that a seldom-used forward being traded from one bad team to another is of much interest. In the case of Mike Fucito being sent from the Montreal Impact to the Portland Timbers, though, some knowledge of recent history is required.
Mike Fucito Traded To Portland Timbers From Montreal Impact
The more interesting subplot is how fans of the two rivals will react to former Seattle Sounder Mike Fucito joining the Portland Timbers.
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Prior to joining the Impact, Fucito had earned a bit of a cult-following during his three seasons with the Seattle Sounders. When they sent him to the Impact as part of the trade to acquire former United States international Eddie Johnson, a very vocal part of the Sounders fan base reacted angrily.
After playing in just one game with the Impact and often times failing to even dress, it became clear that his time in Montreal was probably limited. Few, if any, saw him going back to the Pacific Northwest to join the Timbers.
The Timbers only had to give up either a 2013 second-round pick in the SuperDraft or a 2013 international roster spot -- depending on Fucito’s performance -- so it’s not like they traded away the farm. But forward is not really a position of need for them and Fucito will hardly help bolster a defense that has given up a Western Conference-worst 11 goals.
The more intriguing aspect of this trade is how the respective fan bases will react. There aren’t many examples of players moving from one of these longtime rivals to another, but the few that have been met with mixed feelings.
If you’re curious in watching how that unfolds, be sure to check out Timbers blog Stumptown Footy and Sounders blog Sounder at Heart.
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