The offseason wheeling and dealing in MLS continued Friday as the Los Angeles Galaxy acquired goalkeeper Joe Cannon from the Colorado Rapids in exchange for forward Herculez Gomez and defender Ugo Ihemelu.
The teams also swapped natural second round picks for the 2007 MLS SuperDraft, the Galaxy sending the 18th overall pick to the Rapids and receiving the 23rd overall pick.
Cannon has been arguably the top 'keeper in MLS over the past six years. He's won two Goalkeeper of the Year awards (2002 and 2004) in that span, in addition to an MLS Cup title in 2001 with the San Jose Earthquakes. He was also a league MVP finalist in 2004.
Acquiring Cannon creates a significant dilemma between the pipes for the Green and Gold. They already have the league's all-time leader in wins and shutouts in Kevin Hartman, as well as Generation adidas product Steve Cronin.
"We are looking to add talented and proven players to our roster," said L.A. Galaxy president and general manager Alexi Lalas. "With this move we now have three world-class goalkeepers in the Galaxy organization."
In 2006, Cannon had his least productive year statistically, finishing last in goals against average (1.55) among 'keepers who played a minimum of 1,000 minutes.
Offseason abdominal surgery and another early season injury that caused him to miss three games may have contributed to Cannon's off year. The Rapids also had a defensive unit compromised by inconsistency at the fullback positions.
Regardless, Cannon finished fourth in the league in saves this past season, further solidifying the reputation he's established for making both remarkable and important saves.
After eight seasons in MLS, Cannon stands in third place all-time in save percentage, fourth in shutouts and goals against average and fifth in saves and victories.
"I am overwhelmed and very excited to play for one of the best franchises, maybe the best franchise in the league," said Cannon. "It is an incredible opportunity and I just hope that the fans will give me a chance to prove myself. I don't think that I have won too many games in Los Angeles as a visitor, so I am really looking forward to playing for the home team."
Gomez spent three seasons (2002, 2005-06) with the Galaxy, registering 16 goals and five assists in 53 games. He was the team MVP in 2005, providing scoring punch as the Galaxy captured Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and MLS Cup titles.
Ihemelu is one of the most promising young defenders in the league. A surprising first round selection in 2005, Ihemelu turned in a strong rookie season, logging 2,031 minutes. He followed that up with an equally impressive sophomore campaign, starting in each of his 29 games.
Jason Halpin is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
