RSL long had its eye on Lovel Palmer, nearly trading for the Jamaican international while he was in Portland during the 2012 season. The Claret-and-Cobalt got its man in Stage 2 of the MLS Re-Entry Draft on Dec. 14, 2012, agreeing to a deal with the 28-year-old defender/midfielder less than a week later.
A former Jamaican national team teammate of RSL Head Scout Andy Williams, Palmer will primarily play right back for the Claret-and-Cobalt, backing up starter Tony Beltran and providing added depth along the left side of the backline and at defensive midfield. The arrival of Palmer and midfielder Khari Stephenson this offseason give RSL its first Jamaican players since Williams retired following the 2011 season.
Acquired
RSL: Selected in the first round of Stage 2 of the MLS Re-Entry Draft on Dec. 14, 2012. Signed a contract with RSL on Dec. 19, 2012.
POR: Acquired by Portland in a trade with Houston in exchange for Mike Chabala on July 21, 2011
HOU: Signed by Houston on a transfer from Jamaican club Harbour View on March 19, 2010
Professional Experience
2012: Appeared in 19 MLS games - including 15 starts - for Portland in 2012 … Timbers did not pick up his contract at the end of the season, placing him in the Re-Entry Draft … Real Salt Lake selected Palmer - a former Jamaican international teammate of RSL head scout Andy Williams - in Stage 2 of the MLS Re-Entry Draft on Dec. 14 and signed him on Dec. 19
2011: Recorded his first assist in a Timbers uniform with a cross to Diego Chara on Sept. 16 … The assist was his first since Sept. 25, 2010 … Missed Aug. 17 match at Sporting Kansas City while serving a one-game, league-imposed suspension for caution accumulation … Started each of his 15 appearances with Portland, playing both right back and defensive midfield … Recorded two shots in each of his first four matches with the Timbers … Acquired in a trade from Houston on July 21. Appeared in 19 of Houston's 20 matches, missing one only due to suspension … Made 16 starts in the midfield for the Dynamo, scoring one goal … Set up Houston's first goal of the season with a long-range shot off the crossbar in a 1-1 draw at Seattle on March 25 … Scored a late consolation goal in a 2-1 loss at Toronto on May 7 … Ejected in a 2-0 loss vs. Columbus on June 18 and missed the June 25 match at D.C. United as a result
2010: Stepped into the Dynamo lineup early in the season and became a mainstay, appearing in all 26 games for which he was available, including 24 starts ... Totaled four goals in three different competitions ... Arrived in Houston the day of the home opener and made competitive Dynamo debut in the final minute of a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake on April 1 ... Made first Dynamo start and scored spectacular long-range goal that was voted MLS Goal of the Week in a 3-0 win vs. Chivas USA on April 17 ... Goal was later named No. 5 on the list of top MLS goals of 2010 by ESPNSoccernet.com ... Scored second MLS goal of the season with low blast from an indirect free kick in a 4-3 win vs. Chicago on Aug. 21 ... Ejected in 10th minute of 3-0 loss at Colorado on Aug. 28 for retaliating against Pablo Mastroeni ... Missed matches on Sept. 5 vs. San Jose (international duty) and Sept. 18 vs. TFC (red card suspension) ... Notched his first MLS assist on the clinching goal of a 3-1 win at D.C. United on Sept. 25 ... Came on as halftime substitute of a 1-0 U.S. Open Cup win vs. Miami FC June 29 and used cool, low finish to net the game-winning goal in the 81st minute ... Started all four SuperLiga games in midfield ... Scored the opening goal in the sixth minute of a 1-1 tie vs. Chivas USA on July 18, giving him a goal in each of three different competitions ... Played the final 29 minutes of a 4-0 Dynamo Charities Cup win vs. Aguila on June 19.
2009-10 - Harbour View FC (Jamaican First Division): Helped Harbour View into a tie for first place with three games remaining before joining the Dynamo, scoring four goals
2008-09 - Harbour View FC (Jamaican First Division): Played all 90 minutes in 3-0 loss to Pumas in CONCACAF Champions League qualifier on Sept. 4 after first leg was canceled due to Hurricane Ike in the Gulf of Mexico … Led Harbour View to second-place regular-season finish, but Harbour View dropped to fourth after additional championship-round games
2007-08 - Harbour View FC (Jamaican First Division): Helped club to Caribbean Football Union championship in Nov. 2007 after memorable 10-9 shootout win over San Juan Jabloteh (Trinidad & Tobago) in semifinals and 2-1 regulation win over Joe Public (Trinidad & Tobago) in the final … Scored tying goal in 85th minute of 1-1 tie vs. D.C. United on March 12 in first leg of CONCACAF Champions’ Cup quarterfinal … Also started as Harbour View lost the second leg 5-0 at RFK Stadium on March 18 … Club finished fourth in regular season and lost in first round of playoffs … Scored two goals in league play … 2006-07: Captained Harbour View to 2007 National Premier League championship … Scored eight of team’s league-high 67 goals in regular season
2005-06 - Harbour View FC (Jamaican First Division): Took over as club captain in Aug. 2005 shortly before turning 21 years old … Scored four goals early in the season and earned NPL Player of the Week honors, finishing with six for the year
2004-05 - Harbour View FC (Jamaican First Division): Scored six goals in league play and three in knockout competition while splitting time between defensive and attacking midfielder … Played 90 minutes in both legs of Harbour View’s 4-2 aggregate loss to D.C. United in the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup quarterfinals
2003-04- Harbour View FC (Jamaican First Division): Was called into the Harbour View senior squad for the first time by coach Donovan Hayles shortly before turning 19 years old … Managed to stay with the senior squad all year as Harbour View lost in the Premier League finals … Scored first Premier League goal in the mid-season final against Waterhouse, a 35-yard strike that was ranked the sixth-best goal of the year … Helped Harbour View to Caribbean Football Union championship … Scored final goal in record 30-1 aggregate win against Ideal FC (Montserrat) over two legs in qualifying round.
Jamaican National Team
Jamican National Team: Jamaica international (24 caps, 0 goals) … 2012: Played in several World Cup Qualifiers for the Reggae Boyz, including starting Jamaica’s 1-0 loss at the U.S. in Columbus on Sept. 11 … 2011: Was not a part of Jamaica’s roster for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup … 2010: Helped Jamaica to Caribbean Cup title in December ... Began year by playing full 90 minutes for Jamaica in 2-1 loss at Argentina on Feb. 11, setting up fellow MLSer Ryan Johnson for Jamaica’s only goal … Appeared as a substitute in 1-0 win vs. Costa Rica on Sept. 5 and 2-1 loss vs. Peru on Sept. 7 ... Started and played 84 minutes in 0-0 tie vs. Costa Rica on Nov. 17 ... Was part of Jamaica's squad at the Caribbean Cup in Martinique ... Started in Group I wins vs. Antigua & Barbuda (Nov. 27) and Guadeloupe (Nov. 29) ... Played all 120 minutes of semifinal extra-time win vs. Grenada (Dec. 3) ... Came on as sub and played final 52 minutes of 1-1 tie and shootout win in final vs. Guadeloupe (Dec. 5) ... 2009: Appeared in three games, making one start … Played 12 minutes as a sub on Aug. 12 in a 0-0 tie vs. Ecuador at Giants Stadium in New Jersey … Played the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 win at St. Kitts & Nevis on Aug. 16 … Played six minutes as a sub in 0-0 tie at South Africa on Nov. 17 … 2007: Appeared in six games, traveling on the national team’s Asian tour … Made first career international start in a 2-0 loss vs. Switzerland in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on March 21 … Played 83 minutes in a 1-1 tie vs. Panama on March 26 and 81 minutes in a 1-0 loss vs. Chile on June 5 … Started matches at Indonesia (June 21), at Malaysia (June 28), and at Iran (July 2) on Asian tour …2005: Made international debut on April 20, coming on as a substitute in 1-0 win vs. Guatemala at Atlanta’s Herndon Stadium … Also came on as a sub in 0-0 tie vs. Honduras in Atlanta on June 4 … Also represented Jamaica at the U-17 level, playing in U-17 World Cup qualifiers in 2000.
High School/Club
Attended St. Elizabeth Technical High School ... Played for Essex Valley All-Stars and Downs United.
Personal
Enjoys listening to music, movies, and going to the beach … Played cricket as a youngster … Did not begin playing soccer until the age of 10 and did not join a competitive team until he was 13 … Enjoys watching English stars David Beckham and Frank Lampard