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Portland Timbers trade Guzman to Crew for international roster spot

The Portland Timbers have traded midfielder David Guzman to the Columbus Crew in exchange for an international roster spot, the clubs announced on Monday.

A source says Portland is also in the process of selling an international roster spot to an unnamed club.

"We are excited to welcome David to Columbus Crew SC," said Crew president Tim Bezbatchenko. "David is a player who brings World Cup, Copa America, CONCACAF Champions League and MLS Cup experience to the club, and who will add depth to our midfield.

"Having worked with [manager] Caleb [Porter] before, we believe David will quickly integrate into our squad and we look forward to his contributions to Crew SC."

Guzman previously played under Porter when he first arrived in Portland in 2017.

"On behalf of the entire club, I would like to thank David and his family for their contributions to the Portland Timbers over the last three seasons, and we wish them all the best in the future," said Timbers general manager Gavin Wilkinson.

"David represented our club in a superb fashion, and it was a proud moment for the entire organization as he represented his country and our club in the World Cup last year."

Guzman, 29, spent parts of the past three three seasons in Portland, scoring four goals and adding eight assists in 50 league and playoff appearances.

However, the emergence of Cristhian Paredes this season in the Timbers midfield rendered Guzman surplus to requirements.

A Costa Rica international, the former Saprissa man has made 54 appearances for his country since making his debut in June of 2010.

Guzman started in all three matches of Costa Rica's 2018 World Cup campaign in Russia, where Los Ticos did not make it past the group stage.