Merry Christmas Timbers fans

Have a good one, and pour in some extra bourbon in your Tom and Jerry for me.

If you are looking for some soccer related reading today, be sure to check out ESPN's team of the decade.

Portland Timbers MLS Stadium Renovation Revealed

The views are a look at the seats on the east side of the stadium along the Max line. This east side section will feature an additional 4,000 seats and include premium seats with full amenities including a restaurant.

Portland Timbers Stadium Renovation Details

• The field will be shifted to be closer to the fans. Imagine the whole pitch moving closer to the dugouts and where home plate is now. The fans in the stands will be right on top of the action.
  
• The grassy knoll in the baseball out field will be replaced with modern seating that features a roof to protect fans and premium seats with a restaurant, for people who like that kind of stuff.
  
• The stadium will remain open to 18th street and the views of the city from within the stadium will be preserved.
• A new team store will be constructed and open year around.
• A newer and bigger video board will be hung in the south end along the MAC building.
  
• Seating capacity will total 20,000 with the ability to open up 4,000 more seats.
• Last but not least, you are looking at what will be the most unique and possibly the coolest soccer venue in the US.
  

For the full details go to portlandmls2011.com

Bulgarian Football Action

Donovan signs four year contract with MLS

Landon Donovan and the LA Galaxy reached agreement on a four year deal, so he will stay with the MLS until 2013. We will be seeing Landon Donovan play in Portland two years from now!

Donovan will also be on loan to Everton for 10 weeks, giving him a good chance to preview some of his World Cup competition when Team USA faces England in June.

More information: http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/16/donovan-to-stay-with-galaxy-four-more-years/

Wigan free kick goal from half field

Timbers Sign First Free Agent Quavas Kirk

The Portland Timbers announced their first free agent signing for the 2010 season, 21 year old Quavas Kirk. Quavas Kirk has played four seasons in the MLS for the Galaxy, and DC united. He was waived by United in 2009, and played for the Minnesota Thunder. Kirk was a top player for the US U-17 team, scoring 22 goals in 53 games.
Quavas Kirk Quick Bio

• Age: 21
• Height: 6 ft 1 in
• Position: Midfielder
• Previous Teams
• LA Galaxy 2006-2008
• DC United 2008-2009
• Minnesota Thunder 2009

Some footage of his DC days...

2010 World Cup Group C Video Summary

Worst Soccer Shot Miss

Bet on Football for Free

Check out CentSports.com, it's a free (ad-supported) betting site that pays out real money. They spot you a dime, and then you can make bets on soccer matches, as well as the NBA, football and other sports.I've got 10 cents riding on a 3 bet parlay to win 55 cents. Let us know if you sign up and what you're betting on.

Portland Timbers Returning for the 2010 Season

The list of returning Timbers is not set in stone, but we can list some players that we can expect to see in 2010. We will keep this list updated as more news is available.

• Gavin Wilkinson Head coach - Gavin will again be the head coach heading into the 2010 USL campaign.
• Steve Cronin Goalkeeper - After the 2009 season Cronin was put on loan to MLS side DC United. He played the final three matches of the MLS season and recieved positive reviews for his performance.
• Scot Thompson Defender - Scot with one T has been with the Timbers since the 2005 season and all signs point to his return in 2010.
• Brian Farber Midfielder - The former Beaver is spending his off season playing professional indoor for the California Cougars. This past Sunday Farber was the star, as he scored a hat trick and added two assists in a Cougars win.
  
• Mandjou Keita Forward - The 2009 USL leading scorer is on loan to Salgaocar of the top professional league of India, the I-league.
  
• Ryan Pore Midfielder
• Tony Mcmanus Midfielder
• Johan Claesson Midfielder
• Takayuki Suzuki Forward
  
• George Josten Forward

World Cup 2010 Group C Statistics,

England
World Cup Appearances 12
Champion 1966
Matches Played 55
Won 25
Draw 17
Loss 13
USA
World Cup Appearances 8
Matches Played 25
Won 6
Draw2
Loss 1
Algeria
World Cup Appearances 2
Matches Played 6
Won 2
Draw 1
Loss 3
Slovenia
World Cup Appearances 1
Matches Played 3
Won 0
Draw 0
Loss 3

2010 World Cup The Final Draw

This is the final groupings of the 2010 World Cup. The first match will be on June 11th with hosts South Africa facing our southern rival Mexico. The US will face England for their first match of the cup on June 12th. The US's group is not so bad and is definitely not the group of death we faced in 2006.

Group A

• South Africa
• Mexico
• Uruguay
  
• France
  

Group B

• Argentina
• Nigeria
  
• South Korea
• Greece

Group C

• England
• USA
• Algeria
• Slovenia

Group D

• Germany
• Australia
  
• Serbia
  
• Ghana

Group E

• Netherlands
• Denmark
  
• Japan
• Cameroon

Group F

• Italy
• Paraguay
  
• New Zealand
• Slovakia
  

Group G

• Brazil
• North Korea
• Ivory Coast
• Portugal
  

Group H

• Spain
• Switzerland
  
• Honduras
• Chile

Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.
-Winston Churchill

Tomorrow The Final Draw 2010 World Cup

Every four years the fate of 32 nations is chosen.
This Friday at 9:00AM PST these 32 nations will find out who they face in the first round of the 2010 World Cup, and so the fate for the Cup begins. We will post the results when they happen.

The Final Draw
9:00 AM ESPN2

The First Annual Official Dropping Timber 2009 Gift Guide

The holidays are here, so grab a beer and show us some cheer! This is the first annual Official Dropping Timber 2009 Gift Guide. It is a time of giving, so give that fanatic in your life something special or if you are the fanatic give that someone special in your life gifts that only you can cherish.

Footballer's Haircuts

Footballer's Haircuts is the definitive guide to the hairstyle choices of British players through the ages. This book features the perms, the alopecia, the bowl cuts and the downright awesome style choices made by your favorite footballers. This book is intense!

ACES Scarf

The ACES scarf is the must have item of any season. Sold out in most stores, the only way to get this one before Christmas may be to buy some yarn and start knitting. Just remember nothing says F*ck Shittle like an Aces scarf. Warning wearing this scarf in some venues may get you expelled from that venue, regardless of your 1st amendment rights.

Victory
Sylvester Stallone, Pele, Micheal Cain, Bobby Moore the list goes on this star studded extravaganza may be one of the greatest contributions to the art of film. Or maybe not.

Ebbsfleet UnitedOwn your own football club in this daring adventure organized by fans in the UK. Around 30,000 people put their money together and bought British fifth division club Ebbsfleet United. The members who pay an annual fee can get on inside pass into the workings of a real club. The members vote on issues such as promotions, transfers, lineups and even ticket prices. Your dream of owning a club just became a reality.

1994 US Replica Jersey

Nothing says I love soccer, more than a replica of the 1994 World Cup uniform worn by the US national team. It was bold and different, and it had stars on it. The color looked a lot like denim, maybe that was a tip of the hat to our Canadian neighbors, because you know Canadians love denim. People say Eskimos have 1000 words for snow, well Canadians have a 1000 words for denim. That's because they own a lot of denim. With that said, the US 94 jersey would be just right for that special Canuck in your life.

Fifa Official Rules of Soccer This book is chuck full of the raddest regulations and the hottest rules you will find on any book shelf. This gift may be best for anyone you know that works for Fifa or any other soccer ruling body, they could learn something.

Liverpool Beach Set

Nothing says fun in the sun, more than the Liverpool Beach Set. Whether your planning a trip to the coast or a trip to Anfield make sure you stock up on these beach essentials. The results can be legendary.

Stay tuned as we give you other great gift ideas, and shopping tips, such as how to use your body to remove customers in front of you line or how to use the Henry technique to steal whatever is within your reach. Happy holidays!

2010 World Cup Draw

This Friday the world will focus on Cape Town, South Africa as the 32 teams that have qualified for the 2010 World Cup will find out where they will be playing and who. The drawing will be beamed to televisions in over 200 countries. You can watch it live this Friday at 9:00AM on ESPN2.

World Cup Final Draw
Friday 9:00AM ESPN2

Ryan Giggs Scores his 100th EPL goal

On the eve of his 36th birthday Ryan Giggs hit the century mark of 100 goals. He first hit the field for Manchester United way back in 1991, and has remained with Man U through his whole career. His playing ability is still some of the best in the English Premier League.

The Sunshine Goal

When I root, I root for the Timbers!

Salt Lake Welcomes Home the Champions

Salt Lake City must be very happy to welcome home a championship team, as the Utah Jazz have failed to do so.

MLS Cup PK Shootout Decides it

The golden child misses, Landon Donovan could not seal the deal when it mattered. Am I the only one that is reminded of the the 94 PK strike by Baggio? You blew it. I am happy that the Landon did this in the MLS and not in a World Cup match. So it goes.

Real Salt Lake Wins?

USA World Cup Jerseys

The US will dawn throw backs for the 2010 World Cup. The design is inspired by the 1950 US World Cup team which shocked the world by beating England 1-nil in Brazil. That one game is still considered one of the biggest upsets in Cup play and one of the greatest moments for the US national team. The game was labeled the Miracle on Grass by Sports Illustrated. British Newspapers thought the score line was a typo and printed headlines that England had won 10-0. Nike has done an excellent job by keeping it simple and tipping their hat to history. After the 1950 World Cup the US would not qualify again for forty years. So tell us what you think of the 2010 uniforms.

The 32 Nations of the 2010 World Cup

This is a list of the 32 nations that have qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. On December 4th, the world's attention will be drawn to Cape Town, South Africa as the Final Draw is held and we see how these teams will be grouped. We will keep you posted on where and when to watch the draw live. You will notcie some results are in bold, these are past cup winners and the amount the amount of Cups won. Something to note that all the nations who have previouly won a world cup have qualified for 2010.

AFC

• Australia
• Japan
• North Korea
• South Korea

CAF

• Algeria
• Ivory Coast
• Ghana
• Nigeria
• South Africa

CONCACAF

• Honduras
• Mexico
• United States

CONMEBOL

• Argentina 2
• Brazil 5
• Chile
• Paraguay
• Uruguay 2

OFC

• New Zealand

UEFA

• Denmark
• England 1
• France 1
• Germany 3
• Greece
• Italy 4
• Netherlands
• Portugal
• Serbia
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Switzerland

Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.
-Winston Churchill

Portland Timbers Open Tryouts

Put down that cheeseburger, drop the milkshake, and quit eating those oreos, because for the second year in a row the Timbers are holding open tryouts January 23-24th.

From the Timbers Front Office...
Players must be 18 years of age or older to participate and can sign up online; space is limited. Timbers coaches will select the top players from the open tryout to participate in the invite-only combine the following weekend. The registration fee for the open tryout is $65, and it will increase to $85 starting January 15.

2010 World Cup South Africa Qualification

Over the past few days four more teams qualified for the 2010 World Cup hosted by South Africa. Cameroon a fan favorite is in, New Zealand qualified for only it 2nd WC ever, Nigeria is an African powerhouse and Algeria knocked off Egypt to qualify for the first time since 1986. A total of 32 nations will play in the WC, and we will keep you updated as this list grows.

• South Africa
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
  
• Netherlands
• North Korea
  
• Brazil
• Ghana
• England
• Spain
• Paraguay
• Ivory Coast
  
• Germany
• Denmark
• Serbia
• Italy
• Chile
• Mexico
• United States
• Slovakia
• Argentina
• Honduras
• New Zealand
• Nigeria
• Cameroon
  
• Algeria
  

The Soccer Power Index

Nate Silver, the guy behind the political stats site FiveThirtyEight as well as a system that forecasts baseball statistics, has taken aim at soccer. He joined up with ESPN to produce the Soccer Power Index (SPI), which attempts to accurately rank international soccer teams.

Unlike other soccer ratings systems, SPI is explicitly designed to be predictive -- so a team like Argentina, which in fact struggled to qualify for the World Cup, won't be penalized that much provided the system is convinced that the talent is still there. The two main innovations in the SPI are to incorporate results from club play -- if Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto'o scores a goal for Inter Milan, it will (marginally) help Cameroon's rating -- as well as to incorporate a "competitiveness coefficient" based on the actual lineups that each team used in each match. The latter is important because international soccer clubs play a lot of matches -- friendlies, some second-tier international tournaments -- in which they're essentially sending their taxi squads in, which tell us very little about the teams that will actually be on the field in South Africa next year.

Check out the SPI at ESPN and read the details if you want even more information on how it works.

Team USA is ranked #14, the highest in CONCACAF (Fifa has them #11), Brazil is #1 and American Samoa is last at #211. For all our Mozambique Dropping Timber fans, you guys got #94.

2009 MLS Playoff Confrence Championship Tonight

This is a single game elimination to determine the finalists for the MLS Cup and it begins Friday the 13th at the Home Depot Center. The LA Galaxy will host the Houston Dynamo for the Western Conference Championship. Houston's Brian Ching scored the overtime goal over the flounders to get to this match up. In four years he has led the team in goals and took home two Championships. The Galaxy are the turn around team of the year, as they have gone from the worst team by record in 2008, to being 2nd best in the 2009 regular season. Donovan and Beckham are missing their international friendlies this weekend as they enter their first MLS playoff together. This is a one game battle for the final and will be aired live on ESPN 2 at 8:00pm.

2009 MLS Playoff Conference Championship
Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy
Friday, Nov. 13, 8:00PM ESPN 2

Real Salt Lake vs. Chicago Fire
Saturday, Nov. 14, 5:00PM Fox Soccer Channel

Don Garber and Merritt Paulson on the Game Tonight

The MLS commissioner Don Garber and Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson will be guests on 95.5 show Strong at Night starting at 6pm. This is a great opportunity to hear from the two biggest people making Portland MLS a reality.

Strong at Night 6-7PM
Listen live on 95.5 FM or 955thegame.com

You can download the entire show at http://955thegame.com/Shows/Strong_at_Night/

Keita going on loan to India

Mandjou Kieta is going to top tier Indian club Salgaocar Sport Club on loan during the 2009-10 I-League Division 1 season. Don't worry the scoring champ will be back for the 2010 USL regular season. Salgaocar is six games into their 26 regular game season, their is 1-2-3. So the real question becomes, how many minutes does it take for Keita to score his first goal? We will cover all the latest news about Keita's journey to India.

International Friendlies this Weekend

The US National Team will face fellow 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers Slovakia on Saturday, Nov.14 in Bratislava. This game will be televised live on Fox Soccer Channel at 7 AM, so set your damn Tivo. This is an important international friendly match in preparations for the 2010 World Cup. The US will be short some stars as the MLS playoffs are in full swing this weekend, most notably Landon Donovan and Brian Ching. Slovakia finished at the top of a tough qualifying group that included Czech Republic and this will be the nations first World Cup.

Four days after the Slovakia encounter, the U.S. will face fellow 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers Denmark on Wednesday, Nov. 18 in Aarhus. Kickoff at NRGi Park in Aarhus is set for 8:30 p.m. local time (11:30 p.m. PT), and television details will be announced in the near future.

Brazil takes on England Saturday, Nov. 14th at 9AM on Fox Soccer Channel, so clear some room on the tivo and catch two great games this Saturday.

Soccer the Ultimate Fighting Edition

Brian Ching Finishes off Seattle in Overtime

And then there were four

MLS Second Leg Playoff Preview

Defending MLS Cup Champs Columbus Crew Falls First

A stunner in Columbus, as the Crew go up 2 nil, but Real Salt Lake bounces back and somehow scores 3 goals to advance to the Eastern Championship. Columbus had chances and tried to hammer them in to no avail. Six teams are left in the hunt for the 2009 MLS Cup and their fates will be sealed this weekend.

New England at Chicago Sat. 5pm. Fox Soccer Channel
Chicago is down one goal and will have to go up two to advance.
LA sorta at Chivas Sun. 5:30pm. ESPN 2
Series is tied, winner take all.
Seattle at Houston Sun. Noon.
Series is tied, winner take all

Bet on Soccer, for Free

Check out CentSports.com, it's a free (ad-supported) betting site that pays out real money. They spot you a dime, and then you can make bets on soccer matches, as well as the NBA, football and other sports.

I've got 10 cents riding on a 3 bet parlay to win 55 cents. Let us know if you sign up and what you're betting on.

Perfect Aim with the Ball

The Home Depot Center - Stadium Profile

The Home Depot Center is located in Carson, California just out side of LA. It is home to the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA of the MLS. The first match was played there in June of 2003. It was developed and is operated by the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), this group also runs the Staples Center and a variety of other sports and music venues across the world. You are likely to hear more about AEG in the local news, as it is behind the upcoming renovations in the Rose Quarter.
The Home Depot Center is part of a large 125 acre development the encompasses the soccer stadium, a tennis stadium, track and field as well as many other training facilities used extensively by US Olympic athletes. The Stadium is soccer specific but also hosts lacrosse, football, rugby, concerts and the X-games. For the X-games the place hosts everything from motocross to rally cars.The official capacity of HDC is listed at 27,000 and it features a large slew of luxury boxes for LA's many rich and spoiled fans. The stadium has a partial roof that surrounds three sides of the field. The attendance figures for the Galaxy and Chivas are some of the best in the league. The stadium hosts the Honda SuperClasico, the MLS's only true local derby. The Galaxy has won 4 out of the 5 SuperClassicos. The intensity of this rivalry was upped this post season as they face each other in first round of the MLS playoffs. The first leg was a draw and the the second leg will be this Sunday with the winner going on to the Western Conference Finals.

2009 MLS Goal of the Year Nominees

You can vote for your favorite goal over at MLSnet.com, shittle is over represented so make sure to mark a goal for any other team.

MLS Playoffs Update First Leg First Round

The first leg of the first round of the MLS playoffs have been determined. The second leg of the playoffs will begin this Thursday in Columbus. In the first round of this knockout tournament, aggregate goals over two matches will determine the winners. We will keep you updated.

Eastern Conference

• Columbus Crew 0 - Real Salt lake 1
  
• Chicago Fire 2 - New England Revolution 1
  

Western Conference

• Los Angles Galaxy 2 - Chivas USA 2
• Houston Dynamo 0 - Seattle Sounders 0

ESPN MLS Playoffs Update

2009 MLS Playoffs

The first round of the MLS playoffs begins tonight in Shittle. The Flounders face the potent Houston Dynamo at 7pm tonight. ESPN2 will carry the game live so at halftime of the Blazer game flip on over. A total of eight teams will face off in search of the MLS Cup. In the first round of this knockout tournament, aggregate goals over two matches will determine the winners. We will keep you updated.

Eastern Conference

• Columbus Crew vs. Real Salt lake - Saturday 3pm
• Chicago Fire vs. New England Revolution - Sunday 11pm Live Fox Soccer Channel
  

Western Conference

• Los Angles Galaxy vs. Chivas USA - Sunday - 2pm Live ESPN 2
• Houston Dynamo vs. Seattle Sounders - Thursday 7pm Live ESPN2
  

Vancouver and Montreal are out of USL

Montreal the 2009 USL Champions, and Vancouver the 2009 runner up are out of the USL for next year according to the new owners of the USL.

In an interview with Montreal radio station CKAC, Papadakis confirmed that neither of the Canadian based clubs would be part of the USL for the 2010 season after the two sides failed to reach an agreement for continuing play next season and that the T.O.A (Team Owner's Association) was ready to move in another direction.

"The negotiations are finished," Papadakis told CKAC. "We decided to continue our preparation for the season 2010 with the teams which wished to remain with us."
Papadakis also stated that there were no hard feelings on either side.

"I would like to thank the two Canadian teams, the WhiteCaps and the Impact, for all that contributed to the USL for the past few years," Papadakis told CKAC. "They were excellent for our league and I have much admiration for them. Now, I wish them good luck in their future plans. "

This could be just hardball tactics coming from Papadakis, as there is no additional information as of yet. We will keep you posted.

SMU Freshman Hits 95 yard soccer goal

Portland Loves Its Grass

With the rennovations to PGE Park looming on the horizon, many fans have begun to wonder if the 2011 Portland Timbers will be playing on natural grass or will they be forced to continue on the artificial turf? The new MLS field will mark the first-ever soccer specific stadium built for a professional team in Portland's history, quite a significant moment for local soccer enthusiasts. Natural grass is best and it's natural for the best soccer fans in the world to want the best for their team. I think many of us are familiar with the cliched pros & cons in the grass/turf debate, but up in Toronto there's been some interesting developments to their stadium that we in Portland could possibly learn from.

In 2010 the Toronto FC will play their first ever Major League Soccer match on a grass pitch at the new-look BMO Field. The ownership group in Toronto has decided to tear out the "top of the line" artificial turf or "FieldTurf" at the end of this MLS season. After just three years, Toronto has decided fake grass was just not suitable for soccer and will replace the FieldTurf with plain, old, natural grass.

The reasons Toronto made the change are important to look at. First, attracting top talent was becoming a challenge for them. The best players, who have the ability to play long carers in football, don't want to put themselves in situations that could threaten the stability or health of their careers. It's been a long-time criticism of FieldTurf that the artificial surface is less forgiving and rougher on the body. The statistics and studies backing up player claims is hazy at best, but the stats don't matter if there is a player perception that fake turf is worse than grass. Professional sports is a business, that's THE bottom-line. Don't believe me - take a look at Beckham and the LA Galaxy.

Being on the same playing field as everyone else was another motivation for Toronto's change of heart. The Summer of 2009 saw many of the world's top clubs visit North America in well attended exhibition matches against MLS squads. The visiting clubs requested the games be played on natural grass and at great expense, many stadiums took out the turf and replaced it with real grass. So, why wait? The revenue generated from these international games was a great financial gain to the clubs and the owners of the stadiums. Attracting top clubs, international friendlies, and World Cup Qualifiers will be a much easier task for Portland if we're running around on the same surface preferred by the rest of the world.

So far, the Timbers have been pretty tight-lipped over the rennovation plans, as their probably still finalizing many of the details themselves. We are in the process of researching and discussing the rennovation with the Portand Timber's organization. We'll see what information they can provide soon, but here at DroppingTimber, we want to make sure that they know that anything besides grass in the new PGE Park is simply unnacceptable. What do you think? If you agree then....

A Call to Action!
Grab your pitchforks and lets storm the castle!
*** Join the campaign now and bring grass to PGE Park. ***

Dicks Sporting Goods Park - Stadium Profile

Dick's Sporting Goods Park is the home of the Colorado Rapids. It opened on April 7, 2007 for a team scrimmage for season ticket holders and the residents of Commerce City, where the stadium is located. The stadium is located on the outskirts of Denver near the large international airport. It holds around 19,600 people for a football match and can accommodate 26,000 plus for a concert.
The stadium wraps the field on three sides with stands and two large roofs to cover fans on both sides of the field. It also features an open concourse design which allows people to watch the action while getting a beer or finding their way back to their seats. The playing surface is good ole natural Kentucky bluegrass.
Dick's is part of a sprawling outdoor sports complex that features 22 natural grass fields and 2 synthetic fields all of which have lighting. The stadium itself is a great venue to see a match, but I would much rather have my stadium downtown, so I can celebrate the victory.