Preston Burpo to San Jose

It looks like Frank Yallop has found his goalkeeper. The San Jose Earthquakes have announced a trade of their 2008 fourth-round draft pick (43rd overall) to Chivas USA in exchange for backup netminder Preston Burpo.Stuck behind #1 keeper Brad Guzan for most of 2007, Burpo did see significant time with the red-and-white in 2006, starting 19 games for the club. His record of 7-3-9 and GAA of 1.21 were respectable, but the 35-year-old eventually lost the starting job to Guzan, who has never looked back.

He started just three games for Chivas in 2007 while Guzan was away with the U.S. national team, going 1-1-1 with a 1.00 GAA.

There have been rumors of a possible transfer for Guzan to Arsenal of the English Premier League, but club officials must be confident enough that El Guzano will stick around next year to let their backup keeper go so easily.

While some people might not put much value in a fourth-round pick, it is worth remembering that Chivas' fourth-round selection in 2006 turned out to be the sleeper of the year. That year, Jonathan Bornstein was drafted by the team as the 37th overall pick and went on to earn Rookie of the Year honors as well as becoming a mainstay on the backline of the U.S. national team.

Preki & Co. will certainly be looking to duplicate those results with their new-found pick.