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Post by epjr on Feb 12, 2010 18:36:09 GMT -6
Portland announces two friendliesTimbers to play Sounders and University of Portland Portland Timbers News Release - www.portlandtimbers.comPORTLAND, OR -- The Portland Timbers will face Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders FC in a preseason match Thursday, March 11, at 6 p.m. at Qwest Field in Seattle. The Northwest rivals meet in Seattle’s inaugural “Community Shield” match. In support of relief efforts in Haiti following the recent earthquake, the Portland Timbers and University of Portland men’s soccer have joined together to host a special charity match on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. at Merlo Field. All proceeds from the match benefit Mercy Corps to aid in efforts to assist Haitians affected by the earthquake. Seattle and Portland have a long-standing rivalry that dates back to the 1970s as members of the North American Soccer League. The two sides last met in the third round of the 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup before a sold-out PGE Park. After eight seasons as opponents in United Soccer Leagues (2001-08), the tournament fixture was Portland’s first match against Seattle as an MLS club; the Timbers will begin MLS play in 2011. The model for Seattle’s new event is based upon the “Charity or Community Shield” matches in England, where they are a long-standing tradition. Proceeds from the event benefit Northwest community organizations. Following the match, the teams will sign autographs from the field. Additionally, the Timbers will travel to play the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS for a preseason match Saturday, March 20, at 7 p.m. at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. The game will mark the third consecutive season the two sides have met for a preseason contest.
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Post by epjr on Feb 12, 2010 18:58:50 GMT -6
Texas clubs to square off again in preseasonAustin Aztex News Release - www.austinaztex.comMonday, February 8, 2010 AUSTIN, TX -- The Austin Aztex announced that they will host the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer in a preseason friendly on Sunday, March 14 at Nelson Field. "We are delighted to be playing Houston again this season,” said Aztex head coach Adrian Heath. “Last year’s game against the Dynamo was one of the highlights of the year. We know we will be playing one of the favorites for the MLS title so it will be a great game for soccer. Fans in Austin can come and watch top level players, some of whom will be playing for the United States in the upcoming World Cup.”
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Post by epjr on Feb 12, 2010 20:05:55 GMT -6
Former Thunder player Menyongar becomes Stars’ first player BLAINE, Minn. (February 12, 2010, NSC Minn Start Press release) – NSC Minnesota Stars, the new professional soccer team that will play at the National Sports Center, announced the signing of the first player, and it’s a familiar name to Minnesota soccer fans. Johnny Menyongar, who was one of the most popular Minnesota Thunder players for six seasons between 2000-2005, signed a one-year contract. Menyongar most recently finished a four-year stint with the Rochester
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Post by epjr on Feb 15, 2010 16:10:09 GMT -6
Nine players not returning for 2010 PORTLAND, OR -- The Portland Timbers have signed defender Quavas Kirk for the 2010 season, it was announced today pending league and USSF approval. A five-year veteran, Kirk marks the Timbers’ first free-agent signing for the upcoming campaign. Kirk, 21, played in 15 matches with Minnesota in 2009, and was a two-time USL First Division Team of the Week selection. Prior to joining Minnesota, Kirk spent four seasons in Major League Soccer with the Los Angeles Galaxy (2005-07) and D.C. United (2008). “Quavas has all of the attributes we are looking for in a player,” said Gavin Wilkinson, Timbers general manager and head coach. “While he is still learning the trade as a defender, we are excited to work with him and feel he has the necessary tools to help us compete at the highest levels. As a young player, he is extremely versatile and has tremendous experience.” A native of Aurora, Ill., Kirk began his professional career at the age of 17 when he was drafted in the third round of the 2005 MLS SuperDraft by the Galaxy. In three seasons in Los Angeles, he played in 33 matches and logged two assists. Kirk was traded to D.C. United in advance of the 2008 season. He appeared in 10 games for United and aided in the club’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup-championship run.
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Post by epjr on Feb 17, 2010 20:39:13 GMT -6
Former UNC-Charlotte standout returns to U.S. after two years in Denmark The Carolina RailHawks today announced the addition of midfielder Floyd Franks, who returns to the U.S. after a two-year run in Denmark's Second Division. "Floyd's a player I've worked with before. He brought a lot to the team I coached in Cleveland," said RailHawks coach Martin Rennie. "He provides a different element to our midfield than we have at the moment. He covers a lot of ground. He's very strong on the ball, very good at winning the ball back, and he can also time his runs beyond strikers to score goals, and that's an important thing we want to add to our team.
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Post by epjr on Feb 18, 2010 10:05:27 GMT -6
TAMPA, FL -- Hartlepool United of English League One have terminated the contract of longtime youth striker David Foley, and a move to the Puerto Rico Islanders is expected soon. "When my agent spoke to me and said there was interest from this team who had watched me a couple of times in the Reserves, I was interested," Foley said on Hartlepool’s official site, in reference to the Islanders. "I hadn’t played this season and so I wasn’t confident of being here next year so I pulled [Director of Sport Chris Turner] and told him about it all." His career with the Hartlepool First Team got off to a very early start when he made his debut against Port Vale at age 16 years and 44 days, making him the youngest player ever to turn out for the club. "That’s a nice record to have - I hope it stands for a while at least," Foley said. "I will always have a thing for Hartlepool now - this is all I have known since I left school. I am leaving the club but not on bad terms by any means, I will look out for the results. I’ve made some very good friends over the years both on and off the pitch and I’ll be keeping in touch with them." Foley’s most famous strike for the club came in the FA Cup in 2009 when he scored the insurance goal in a 2-0 victory over English Premier League club Stoke City in the Third Round, making him an instant rival of the Austin Aztex, who are directly affiliated with the Potters
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Post by epjr on Feb 22, 2010 10:22:19 GMT -6
PORTLAND, OR -- The Portland Timbers have signed veteran defender Ian Joy for the 2010 season, it was announced today pending USSF approval. He joins the Timbers after eight seasons in Europe and two with Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer. Joy, 28, participated in the Timbers’ mini-camp this week and played in Wednesday’s charity match. He split the 2009 campaign with Real Salt Lake and German club FC Ingolstadt 04. “The signing of Ian brings us a wealth of experience and leadership,” said Gavin Wilkinson, Timbers head coach and general manager. “He understands our expectations and believes in the direction of the club.” usl1.uslsoccer.com/home/403178.html
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Post by epjr on Feb 23, 2010 12:01:39 GMT -6
Puerto Rico Islanders News Release - www.prislandersfc.comTuesday, February 23, 2010 BAYAMON, PR -- Puerto Rican defender Marco Velez re-signed with the Puerto Rico Islanders for 2010’s USSF Division II Pro League, Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Championship and CONCACAF Champions League. In 2001, Velez became the first Puerto Rican to play in Major League Soccer, signing with Toronto FC. He had a great season as starting center back for the Reds and repeated in 2009 until August when we signed with the Islanders for the last couple of months of the USL First Division season. “I am very happy to be back home with my fans, this time for the entire season, representing my team, the Islanders," Velez said. "I always followed them and supported them while I was away. I am an Islander at heart and no one can take that from me. This year I will give it all to win the first championship for the Islanders.” The Puerto Rico Islanders have come close to winning their first championship, losing the USL-1 2008 Championship and CFU Championship in their respective Finals, and reaching the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals. It is a great motivation for Velez and the Islanders to win the team’s first championship in 2010. He feels committed to the development of soccer in Puerto Rico and will take a big part on this in 2010.
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Post by epjr on Feb 24, 2010 13:28:06 GMT -6
Austin re-signs Johnson, BernardKey players sign new two-year deals Austin Aztex News Release - www.austinaztex.comTuesday, February 23, 2010 AUSTIN, TX -- The Austin Aztex announced that forward Eddie Johnson and defender Kieron Bernard have each signed new two-year contracts with the club, pending USSF approval. Both players were standout players in the Aztex first professional season in 2009. Fans can see both players take to the field when the Aztex host the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer on Sunday, March 14 at Nelson Field. Johnson joined the Aztex in 2009 after a successful start to his career in England which included stints on the U16-U20 English national teams as well as his first professional job with Manchester United in 2001 at the age of 17. Johnson has also had stints with Royal Antwerp in Belgium and Coventry City in England. The 25 year old Englishman scored in his Coventry City debut which was a 2-0 victory against Sunderland. Bernard was an original member of the Austin Aztex U23 team in the Premier Development League in 2008.Prior to coming to Austin, Bernard spent time Portmore United of the Jamaican National Premier League. The 6-1 Jamaican left his home country in 2007 to attend San Jacinto College in Houston. He was named a 2007 Second Team NJCAA All-American and in 2008 helped San Jacinto to the semifinals of the NJCAA National Championship.
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Post by epjr on Feb 26, 2010 22:09:14 GMT -6
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Post by epjr on Feb 26, 2010 22:35:28 GMT -6
Impact beat Portuguese Club 5-1FREAMUNDE, Portugal - The Montreal Impact won 5-1 (halftime 2-1) against Sport Clube Freamunde, a second division Portuguese club playing in the League of Honour, Wednesday in Freamunde, in the first of three exhibition matches in Portugal, played under heavy rain conditions and wind squalls of more than 70 km/h. "Even if the score doesn't truly reflect the game, the victory is fully deserved because the Impact was the best team on the field. The result is really fair," declared Impact head coach Marc Dos Santos. "Maybe Freamunde didn't approach the game in the best manner, while we came here with the same attitude than during a league match. I think we surprised them." www.nasl.com/news.php?id=77
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Post by epjr on Feb 26, 2010 23:12:20 GMT -6
Timbers sign landmark SolarWorld dealRenewable energy company to feature on jerseys Portland Timbers News Release - www.portlandtimbers.comThursday, February 25, 2010 PORTLAND, OR -- The Portland Timbers and SolarWorld, the largest solar manufacturer in America, today announced a new landmark partnership, making SolarWorld the team’s official jersey sponsor for the 2010 season and the first renewable-energy company to become a jersey partner of a professional soccer franchise in the United States. SolarWorld, which is connected to the game of soccer on three continents, is one of the largest and most experienced manufacturers of solar technology in the world. It has three plants on the West Coast, including a vertically integrated 500 megawatt manufacturing plant located in Hillsboro, Ore. “I am delighted to partner with SolarWorld on the 2010 Timbers jersey rights,” said Timbers president Merritt Paulson. “We pride ourselves on being a green organization – not just our colors – and partnering with a preeminent sustainable company like SolarWorld is a no-brainer.”
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Post by epjr on Mar 1, 2010 20:19:05 GMT -6
Platter has spent the last five seasons with MinnesotaCARY, N.C. (March 1, 2010) – The Carolina RailHawks today announced the signing of goalkeeper Nic Platter. “It was just a fantastic opportunity to come to the RailHawks,” Platter said. “I’m coming to a great organization with a very good coach, and it’s a good opportunity for me to get better as a goalkeeper. I want to win a championship, and I think this organization has shown it’s dedicated to doing that.” www.naslnews.com/
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Post by epjr on Mar 1, 2010 20:41:22 GMT -6
Miami FC Announces its Home for 2010 SeasonThe Blues confirm Lockhart Stadium MIAMI, February 28, 2010 - After splitting its home games between Lockhart Stadium and FIU's stadium in 2009, Miami FC announced today that Lockhart Stadium will be the Blues’ home venue for 2010. “There have been many great memories at Lockhart Stadium over the years, and we are looking forward to giving fans new memories this season, adding to Lockhart’s great legacy for soccer,” said Miami FC president Aaron Davidson. “Since Lockhart is still considered one of the best facilities for soccer in the United States, we are very fortunate to have the opportunity to play there. After playing at two stadiums last season in order to give fans the opportunity to see Miami FC play closer to their respective homes, we now feel it is best and most effective to establish one home stadium for the team, the fans and the community.”
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Post by epjr on Mar 3, 2010 8:11:25 GMT -6
Seattle Sounders FC at Vancouver Whitecaps FC March 6, 2010 Venue: Swangard Stadium Match Type: Pre-season Match Number: 4 Kickoff (PDT): 4:00 PM Vancouver Whitecaps FC (1W-2L-0D in pre-season) host Major League Soccer (MLS) club Seattle Sounders FC (3W-1L-0D in pre-season) in a pre-season friendly match on Saturday afternoon. In what will be the first match of the club's final season at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, BC, Teitur Thordarson's side continue their buildup towards the 2010 USSF D-2 Pro League season by hosting the Sounders for the first time in British Columbia since their move to MLS last year. Saturday's match is also the second meeting between these two Interstate 5 rivals this pre-season. On February 11 in Casa Grande, Arizona, Seattle came from two goals down to defeat the Blue and White 3-2 at the Grande Sports World facility. Their first encounter came on February 22, 2009, as the MLS Sounders defeated the 'Caps 4-0 in a closed-door friendly match at Seattle's Qwest Field. www.whitecapsfc.com/men/schedule/2010_03_06_v_Seattle_Sounders_FC.aspx
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