PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers have acquired defender Nat Borchers from Real Salt Lake in exchange for allocation money, it was announced today. Per league and club policy, terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Coming off an MLS career-high 32 appearances (all starts) in 2014 with Real Salt Lake, Borchers, 33, has appeared in 288 career matches and logged 25,657 minutes, in 10 MLS seasons. A 2010 MLS Best XI selection, Borchers helped guide RSL to seven straight postseason appearances, winning MLS Cup in 2009 and advancing to the MLS Cup final in 2013.
While with RSL, the center back appeared in 205 regular-season matches and 19 MLS Cup Playoffs games, as well as both legs of the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League final, scoring a goal in the first leg against Mexican club Monterrey. Borchers made 13 appearances in CONCACAF Champions League play for RSL during the 2010-11 and 2012-13 editions of the tournament.
Prior to joining Real Salt Lake, Borchers played two seasons with Odd Grenland (now known as Odds BK) in the Norwegian Tippeligaen, making 42 league appearances from 2006-07 before returning to MLS in 2008. Borchers began his career with the Colorado Rapids in 2003, starting in 22 matches during his rookie campaign.
At the international level, Borchers has earned three caps for the U.S. Men’s National Team since making his senior international debut on March 9, 2005, in a 3-0 friendly win against Colombia. Borchers’ most recent national team appearance came as a second-half substitute in a 1-0 friendly win against South Africa on Nov. 17, 2010.
Nat Borchers
Position: Defender
Height: 6-2
Weight: 175
Born: April 13, 1981, in Tucson, Ariz.
Last Club: Real Salt Lake
College: University of Denver
Citizenship: United States
Acquired: Acquired Dec. 8, 2014 from Real Salt Lake exchange for allocation money
