Portland Timbers sell Jorge Villafana to Mexican outfit Santos Laguna

The 2015 MLS Cup-winning Portland Timbers announced Friday the sale of left full-back Jorge Villafana to Mexican side Santos Laguna for an undisclosed fee.

"This was a win-win for Jorge and for our club; it was an opportunity that neither one of us could pass up," Timbers head coach Caleb Porter said in a statement. "We wish Jorge all the best and thank him for his contributions to our championship."

Villafana, 26, originally joined the club out of the now-defunct Chivas USA, where he earned a contract in a reality contest called "Sueno MLS."

He made 52 appearances over two seasons with the Timbers, logging two goals and seven assists. Villafana started 33 games this season and helped the Timbers defeat the Columbus Crew in the 2015 MLS Cup Final.

"With the current structure in MLS, this transfer is necessary in order for the club to acquire allocation dollars to keep the core group of players together as much as possible," club general manager Gavin Wilkinson said. "Jorge has been a tremendous player for us, and we wish him great success in this mutually beneficial move."