The Philadelphia Union announced on Wednesday that they have traded former No. 1 pick (2010) Danny Mwanga to the Portland Timbers for Jorge Perlaza. Both players are forwards. Perlaza will not take Mwanga's international roster spot as he has a green card. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Mwanga, a Generation adidas player, was the first selection in the MLS SuperDraft in franchise history in 2010. In 61 matches (35 starts) for the Union, Mwanga had 12 goals and 9 assists. He had one assist in nine matches (five starts) this season.

Mwanga, who attended high school in Portland and went to Oregon State, is happy with the move. "It is a wonderful opportunity for me to come back to my hometown and play in front of family and friends. I'm excited, and I can't wait to get out to Portland and get to work." (via Pro Soccer Talk)

Perlaza is a veteran player who joined the Timbers for their inaugural season in 2011. In 41 matches (32 starts) for Portland, Perlaza had six goals and two assists (all in 2011). Perlaza is a smaller target than Mwanga and will count for less against the budget. Perlaza gets fewer points per game in MLS than Mwanga but can still score if given the opportunity to shoot. He has a 15 per cent scoring chance percentage vs. Mwanga's 17.4 per cent.

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