CARSON -- Chivas USA made a move toward alleviating its depth problem in central defense Friday, acquiring the rights to Bobby Burling while waiving fellow defender Scott Gordon.

Burling, a 2007 Galaxy draft pick who spent all or part of three seasons with Chivas, has been on trial with the Goats for the past month. Chivas still must sign him after sending a 2013 international roster slot to the Montreal Impact for his rights.

The 6-foot-5 veteran played in two MLS Reserve League games last month for Chivas after featuring in a reserve game with the Colorado Rapids in May. No word on how soon the Goats will have him under contract or whether he will be signed and eligible for Saturday's game against Vancouver at Home Depot Center.

Burling, a former Loyola Marymount star, went from the San Jose Earthquakes to the Impact in last November's expansion draft, but he was unable to reach a deal and has been in limbo since. He was pursuing his MLS options after trials earlier this year with Sint-Truiden in Belgium and Kickers Offenbach in Germany.

“He's a big guy, a great physical presence in the back,” assistant coach Greg Vanney, a former U.S. national team defender, said last month. “He's in every challenge and he's strong in the challenge and he wins his challenges, and that's a good thing.”

Burling joined Chivas in April 2007, after failing to make the Galaxy roster, and played only in Reserve League games as a rookie. He made 18 MLS starts for the Goats in 2008 but was limited by injury to only three appearances in 2009 before heading to the Earthquakes in a September trade. He made 45 league starts in two years and two months in San Jose.

Gordon, a tall right back, made five first-team appearances with Chivas, going the full 90 in the first two U.S. Open Cup matches. He last played in the June 5 Open Cup victory at Carolina and was last on the bench for the June 20 match against Montreal.

He had signed March 16 following a nearly three-week trial with the club.